Kenlova leads 16 in Breeders’ Cup Turf qualifier in Brazil

Stud Magia’s homebred Kenlova, Brazil’s 2023 champion 3-Year-Old Filly, leads a stellar field of 16 runners, including five Group 1 winners, in Sunday’s Group 1 Grande Premio Brasil going 1 1/2 miles on the grass at Hipodromo Da Gavea in Rio de Janeiro. The winner will receive an automatic starting position and fees paid into the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf via the Breeders’ Cup challenge series.

Kenlova, a 4-year-old daughter of Didimo, has won nine of 15 starts including three Group 1 wins and five Group 2 triumphs. Trained by Emerson Garcia, Kenlova won six of eight races in the 2022-2023 season, highlighted by last May’s 1 1/4-mile Organizacion Sudamericana de Fomento de Sangre Pura de Carrera (G1) at Hipodromo de Cidade Jardim in Sao Paulo, and the 1 1/4-mile Roberto e Nelson Seabra (G1) five weeks later at Gavea. Those wins catapulted her to her championship title.

She added her third career Group 1 this year when she captured the May 19 Sao Paulo going 1 1/2 miles at Jardim by a nose over Obataye.  

Known for his close finishes, Haras Rio Iguassu’s 3-year-old Obataye won three consecutive races, all by a nose, prior to his defeat in the Sao Paulo. Trained by Antonio Oldoni, Obataye, a son of Courtier, took the 1 1/4-mile Parana (G3) at Taruma in December and secured two more victories at Sao Paulo, taking the Feb. 3 Linneo de Paula Machado (G3) and the 14 de Marco (G3) on March 9 at 1 1/2 miles.   

Another main challenge to Kenlova could come from Haras Doce Vale’s homebred Underpants. A 3-year-old son of Emcee out of the Elusive Quality mare Kissingafool, Underpants has won three of five starts for trainer Ildefonso Coelho De Souza. In his latest outing, Underpants earned his first Group 1 triumph by taking the April 7 Cruzeiro do Sul at Gavea, winning the 1 1/2-mile race by 1 3/4 lengths.

Haras Do Morro’s 3-year-old Mapa Do Brasil, another son of Emcee, finished third in the Cruzeiro do Sul, but came right back in the May 1 Nove de Maio (G2) going 1 1/2 miles at Gavea and scored the most impressive win of his 11-race career with a 4-length victory as the odds-on favorite. Trained Luiz Claudio Costa, the Nova de Maio triumph ended a four-race losing streak for Mapa Do Brasil, since he captured the 1 1/4-mile Sandpit (G3) last November at Gavea.

The 5-year-old Online, owned by Stud Verde and trained by Luiz Claudio Costa, won the Feb. 4 Escorial (G3) going 1 1/4 miles at Gavea over a heavy course for ninth career win. The son of Agnes Gold (JPN) picked up his top-level win in 2022 when he captured the Eduardo de Paula Machado (G1), also at Gavea.

Stud Red Rafa’s 4-year-old Quantify, winner of the 2022 Francisco Eduardo de Paula Machado, and Stud H E R’s 6-year-old Olympic Kremlin, who captured the 2021 Cruzeiro do Sol, are the other Group 1 winners in the field.