The Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar last month may have been the climax of the 2021 season in North America, but it gave us early indications of some of the horses that could feature prominently in 2022.
And none may have been more significant than the Brazilian import Ivar.
As a 4-year-old, he ran fourth in last year’s edition of the Breeders’ Cup Mile, but he wasn’t selected into the field at the pre-entry stage for this year’s edition at Del Mar. But he made it into the field via the defection of last year's winner, Order Of Australia.
He proved well worthy of the spot. Indeed, he was arguably the most impressive horse in the race – dashing home late from an unfavorable trip to be third, just a length and a half behind the winner, Space Blues, who, like runner-up Smooth Like Strait, enjoyed a perfect trip.
After this strong effort, Ivar looks a likely candidate for top turf honors as a 6-year-old in North America next year.
The son of Agnes Gold, trained by Paulo Lobo and ridden by Joe Talamo, was drawn in stall 12. Order Of Australia experienced the same fate at Keeneland in 2020, but outside posts are much tougher over a mile at Del Mar.
Talamo decided to slot Ivar in behind horses from the break, rather than to go forward and end up racing wide on the first turn.
Ivar is an off-the-pace runner. He came from well out of it when winning the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile (now Keeneland Turf Mile) last year. He travelled well within himself through the first half mile at Del Mar, but was far back as the leaders set a pace to suit prominent runners. As Jay Hovdey wrote in his Blood-Horse report: “The Mile’s three-quarter split in 1:11.02 effectively neutralized the chances from anything attacking late.”
Advancing gradually around the home turn, Ivar picked up well in the straight. He was cutting sharply into the two in front in the dying strides, and he galloped out strongly (see video below). He was the only horse from off the pace to make it into the top six.
The 1.4-furlong dash from the turn to the winning post - one thing that really should be changed if the Breeders’ Cup is to return to this venue - played as much against him as did the wide post.
Was Ivar the best horse in the race? Many would say he was, and he would definitely have proved hard to beat over a track that is more fair, like Keeneland, where the Breeders’ Cup will be staged in 2022.
Hopefully, Ivar will still be around to get his third crack at the big race then.
Ivar was coming off an eye-catching fourth behind barnmate and fellow BC Mile contender In Love in the G1 Keeneland Turf Mile in October. He had been off since running sixth, beaten two lengths by Colonel Liam and Domestic Spending, in the G1 Turf Classic at Churchill Downs five months earlier, and he raced far too freely at Keeneland, pulling hard and wasting energy. Still, he managed to be fourth, two lengths behind In Love, a rival who was four places behind him in the BC Mile.
Ivar’s sixth in the Turf Classic was also a better performance than it appears. Still last of nine halfway around the home bend, he made a big move and was forced seven or eight wide to make his challenge turning for home – looking a likely top-3 contender – then tired a bit inside then last sixteenth.
Hopefully, we will eventually see Ivar in a strongly run race and find out exactly what he is capable of. He beat Raging Bull and Without Parole in the 2020 Shadwell, so there’s no doubt he is a proper Grade 1 horse. He would fit well in the Pegasus World Cup Turf at Gulfstream Park on January 29.
Bred by Haras Rio Dois Irmãos in Pilar, outside Buenos Aires, Ivar was foaled on October 4, 2016. He is not a young horse but South American imports are often late-developing types, and the BC Mile was only his 11th racecourse appearance.
Having been 3-for-3 in Argentina in 2019, Ivar now has five wins to his name. He landed the G1 Gran Premio Gran Criterium over a mile on a heavy turf course at San Isidro, and followed up with another stroll in the G1 Gran Premio Estrellas Juvenile at Palermo, run over the same distance but on a fast dirt track. He was handled by Juan M Etchechoury, who is world #49 in the TRC trainer’s standings, at the time.
Ivar’s sire, Agnes Gold (Sunday Silence), was a smart performer in Japan, where he won his first four races. After making a winning debut at 2, he won over 2,000 metres at Kyoto on his return, and went on to capture two G3s over 1,800 metres. Agnes Gold raced just seven times.
Ivar is out of the Smart Strike mare May Be Now. She was campaigned in Brazil, where she won four races, the highlight being a G2 over 2,400 metres at Gavea when she was 4. May Be Now is a half-sister to Al’s Gal, an 8-time winner who took the G1 E P Taylor Stakes and was runner-up in the G1 Diana Stakes. Sold for $950,000 at the Keeneland in 2017, Al’s Gal is a winning producer in Japan.
Further back in Ivar’s family we find the Chilean champion turf mare Santona, who became the dam of G3 Pennsylvania Derby winner Grand Hombre.