by Michael Burns

Peruvian Oaks and Derby winner Lady Shatzi scored an authoritative victory in the Clasico Jockey Club del Peru (Per-G1) on Sunday at Hipodromo de Monterrico in Lima, Peru.

Confidently ridden by Raul Fernandez, Lady Shatzi gained command at the top of the stretch and drove with authority past her five rivals en route to a 3 1/2-length victory.

Slight favorite Interoceanico, third in all four legs of the Peruvian Quadruple Crown, held second in a three-horse photo over Kentucky-bred Spicer Boy and group stakes winner Mukhtar, a Kentucky-bred Grindstone colt.
 
Kentucky-bred Deepak, Peru’s 2007-‘08 Horse of the Year and winner of the ´08 Latinoamericano, South America's most important multinational Group 1 weight-for-age event, gave way nearing the turn and finished a distant fifth.

Trained by 83-year-old Sabino Arias, who has saddled winners in Argentina, Uruguay, and Venezuela with Peruvian-bred Thoroughbreds, Lady Shatzi covered 2,400 meters (11.93 furlongs) in 2:34.40 on a track rated as fast for her third Group 1 victory for owner Stud Altamar. Lady Shatzi extended her unbeaten streak to three after two comfortable stakes victories at ten and 12 furlongs on the dirt.

Lady Shatzi is the first female to win Peru’s premiere race since Kentucky-bred Batuka in 1999. Batuka won the 2000 Hialeah Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Gulfstream Park in her United States debut.

Bred in Peru by Haras San Pablo, Lady Shatzi is from the second crop of the Private Account stallion Privately Held, who is out of multiple Grade 1 producer Aviance and is a half brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Denon, multiple Group 1-placed stakes winner Imperfect Circle, dam of 1996 Irish classic winner and ´97 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) winner and sire Spinning World and to Group 1 winner Chimes of Freedom, dam of 2003 champion sprinter and sire Aldebaran.

Lady Shatzi is out of the winning Septieme Ciel mare Shatzi.

Earlier on the card,  Sparkling Oro, a United States-bred daughter of Van Nistelrooy, flew late along the rail under a timely ride from Jose Monteza to defeat champion Maitena by one-length in the Clasico Pamplona (Per-G1), the only Group 1 race on the grass reserved for fillies and mares on the Peruvian racing calendar.

Making her Group 1 debut after a exiting a third to Maitena in her stakes debut on May 23, Sparkling Oro registered her fifth career victory from seven starts for owner Stud Couet as she completed the classic distance in 2:00.60.

Bred in Kentucky by Mr. & Mrs. Kenneth P. Stripling, Theodore Kuster, and Dr. Jack Allen, Sparkling Oro is a three-year-old bay filly out of multiple stakes-placed winner Sec Secrets, by Triple Sec.

Sparkling Oro became the first U.S.-bred filly to win the Pamplona since 2001 heroine Pigricia (Per), a Kentucky-bred Lord Avie filly.

Michael Burns is a South America-based Thoroughbred Times correspondent