Racing and breeding in Uruguay have as long a history as in any nation in South America, but Uruguayan horses have registered on North American radar screens only a couple of times in the last half-century. One was in 1965, when the Uruguayan-bred Colonia ran second in the Beverly Hills Handicap after compiling a stakes-winning record in her native land. 13 years later, her stakes-winning daughter Sun Colony produced Pleasant Colony, winner of the 1981 Kentucky Derby and Preakness and an important sire. The other was in 2006, when Argentine-bred Uruguayan Triple Crown winner Invasor won the Breeders’ Cup Classic (USA-G1) to take honors as American Horse of the Year.
Part of Uruguay’s problem in securing greater international acclaim is numbers, as the nation is sandwiched between much larger neighbors in Brazil and Argentina. Both have substantially larger foal crops, and horsemen in both are not at all averse to sending raiders over the border after Uruguay’s major prizes. Thus, it was a substantial triumph for Uruguay’s racing and breeding industry when Uruguayan-bred Dale Flojita upheld her country’s honor on January 6 with a convincing win over multiple Brazilian Group winner Bloody Mary in Uruguay’s biggest race for fillies and mares, the Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (URU-G1).
Previously the winner of the listed Premio Sarandi and placed in both the Gran Premio Estimulo (URU-G2) and Gran Premio Selección (Uruguayan Oaks, URU-G3), Dale Flojita races as a homebred for Haras El Trebol. She is a daughter of Sloane Avenue, an American-bred son of Candy Ride and the A.P. Indy mare Apt. A stakes winner in England and Group 2-placed in Dubai, Sloane Avenue is from the female family of standout sires Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev, and Fairy King. Exported in 2017 to stand at Uruguay’s Haras El Santo, Sloane Avenue made his presence felt early in his adopted country by finishing sixth on the Uruguayan general sire list in 2022 and second in 2023. He was third in 2024 and is currently second in the early 2025 standings behind Argentine stallion Equal Stripes, whose son El Kodigo crossed the border to take the Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez (URU-G1) on the same card as the Ciudad de Montevideo.
Haras El Trebol has developed Dale Flojita’s family since the importation of the Argentine mare Fidelia, a daughter of the Embrujo horse Fierabras. The Ciudad de Montevideo winner is the only foal produced from unraced Flavia, whose sire, the Argentine import De Pizarro (by Mutakddim), won the 2006 Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (ARG-G1). Flavia, in turn, is out of Run Viola Run, whose sire, German Group 2 winner Robin des Pins (by Nureyev), led the Uruguayan general sire list at least eight times and was champion broodmare sire seven times.
Run Viola Run was unplaced in her only start. She is out of Vieja Viola, who established a reputation as the best filly of her crop at Uruguay’s Las Piedras track, where she won six of seven starts. Sent to Argentina, she was also a winner at Palermo before returning to Uruguay. Her sire Obstinado won two Uruguayan Group 2 races and two Group 3 events. Obstinado’s sire Harken was a champion sprinter in Uruguay and reversed the usual pattern of international raiding by traveling to Rio de Janeiro in 1977 and winning Brazil’s top sprint, the Grande Prêmio Major Suckow (BRZ-G1) at Gávea.
Vieja Viola’s dam Nostalgia did not race but was sired by 1986 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez winner Chapulin out of Arrusafa, winner of the 1988 Premio Sarandi. Sired by the Good Manners horse Inaco, Arrusafa is a daughter of Gata Rusa, a winner by the Argentine-bred stallion Dorigny (by 1960 Two Thousand Guineas winner Martial, by 1952 Kentucky Derby winner Hill Gail) out of Fidelia. Thus, Haras El Trebol has persevered with this female line through eight generations to come up with Dale Flojita, exhibiting a patience seldom seen among breeders anywhere in the world. But then, this is a country where racing survived the closure of its primary track, Maroñas, in 1997-2003 and came back to host Group 1 racing once more at that same oval. Its horsemen have learned patience in a hard school, and on this occasion at least, patience has been well rewarded.
Part of Uruguay’s problem in securing greater international acclaim is numbers, as the nation is sandwiched between much larger neighbors in Brazil and Argentina. Both have substantially larger foal crops, and horsemen in both are not at all averse to sending raiders over the border after Uruguay’s major prizes. Thus, it was a substantial triumph for Uruguay’s racing and breeding industry when Uruguayan-bred Dale Flojita upheld her country’s honor on January 6 with a convincing win over multiple Brazilian Group winner Bloody Mary in Uruguay’s biggest race for fillies and mares, the Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (URU-G1).
Previously the winner of the listed Premio Sarandi and placed in both the Gran Premio Estimulo (URU-G2) and Gran Premio Selección (Uruguayan Oaks, URU-G3), Dale Flojita races as a homebred for Haras El Trebol. She is a daughter of Sloane Avenue, an American-bred son of Candy Ride and the A.P. Indy mare Apt. A stakes winner in England and Group 2-placed in Dubai, Sloane Avenue is from the female family of standout sires Sadler’s Wells, Nureyev, and Fairy King. Exported in 2017 to stand at Uruguay’s Haras El Santo, Sloane Avenue made his presence felt early in his adopted country by finishing sixth on the Uruguayan general sire list in 2022 and second in 2023. He was third in 2024 and is currently second in the early 2025 standings behind Argentine stallion Equal Stripes, whose son El Kodigo crossed the border to take the Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez (URU-G1) on the same card as the Ciudad de Montevideo.
Haras El Trebol has developed Dale Flojita’s family since the importation of the Argentine mare Fidelia, a daughter of the Embrujo horse Fierabras. The Ciudad de Montevideo winner is the only foal produced from unraced Flavia, whose sire, the Argentine import De Pizarro (by Mutakddim), won the 2006 Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (ARG-G1). Flavia, in turn, is out of Run Viola Run, whose sire, German Group 2 winner Robin des Pins (by Nureyev), led the Uruguayan general sire list at least eight times and was champion broodmare sire seven times.
Run Viola Run was unplaced in her only start. She is out of Vieja Viola, who established a reputation as the best filly of her crop at Uruguay’s Las Piedras track, where she won six of seven starts. Sent to Argentina, she was also a winner at Palermo before returning to Uruguay. Her sire Obstinado won two Uruguayan Group 2 races and two Group 3 events. Obstinado’s sire Harken was a champion sprinter in Uruguay and reversed the usual pattern of international raiding by traveling to Rio de Janeiro in 1977 and winning Brazil’s top sprint, the Grande Prêmio Major Suckow (BRZ-G1) at Gávea.
Vieja Viola’s dam Nostalgia did not race but was sired by 1986 Gran Premio Jose Pedro Ramirez winner Chapulin out of Arrusafa, winner of the 1988 Premio Sarandi. Sired by the Good Manners horse Inaco, Arrusafa is a daughter of Gata Rusa, a winner by the Argentine-bred stallion Dorigny (by 1960 Two Thousand Guineas winner Martial, by 1952 Kentucky Derby winner Hill Gail) out of Fidelia. Thus, Haras El Trebol has persevered with this female line through eight generations to come up with Dale Flojita, exhibiting a patience seldom seen among breeders anywhere in the world. But then, this is a country where racing survived the closure of its primary track, Maroñas, in 1997-2003 and came back to host Group 1 racing once more at that same oval. Its horsemen have learned patience in a hard school, and on this occasion at least, patience has been well rewarded.
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