Gran Premio Asociación Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipódromos facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gran Premio Latinoamericano

Grade I race
The homestretch of the inaugural Gran Premio Latinoamericano
Location	South America
Inaugurated	1981
Race type	Thoroughbred
Race information
Distance	Varies
Surface	Varies
Track	Varies
Qualification	3-year-olds and up
Weight	Assigned
Purse	US$360,000 (2022) 1st: US$216,000

The Gran Premio Latinoamericano is a very important horse race in Latin America. It's also known as the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano because of its sponsor, Longines. This race is special because it's the richest and one of the biggest horse races in the region.

What makes it unique is that it's the only top-level (called Group 1) horse race in the world that moves around! It changes its location and country every year. The race takes place in different countries like Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.

The Gran Premio Latinoamericano happens once a year, usually in March. Horses run a distance between about 1.25 miles (2000 meters) and 1.5 miles (2400 meters). They can race on either a dirt track or a grass (turf) track. Only Thoroughbred horses aged three years or older can enter. These horses must be chosen by a member racecourse or their owner.

Many famous racecourses from different countries are part of this event. These include tracks in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay.

History of the Race

How the Race Started

The Gran Premio Latinoamericano began in 1981. Before that, in 1980, a new group called the Latin American Association of Jockey Clubs and Racecourses was formed. This group included important horse racing clubs from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. They wanted to create a big international race that would move between their different tracks each year. This idea led to the Gran Premio Latinoamericano. Later, Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico also joined this group.

Key Moments in the Race

The very first Gran Premio Latinoamericano was held in 1981 in Uruguay. For a few years, from 2000 to 2003, the race didn't happen because there wasn't enough money. But it has been run every year since 2004.

Since 2014, the famous watch company Longines has sponsored the race. This means they help provide money and support for the event.

In 2016, a big change happened: any horse from any country could enter the race. This was also the first time that special tests were done to check for illegal substances (called doping control) using a lab approved by international racing authorities.

The most horses ever to run in the race at one time was 18. This happened twice, in 1986 and again in 2020. Most winners were bred in the country they represented. However, a few winners were bred in other countries, like Argentina, the USA, or Brazil, but ran for a different country.

In 2006, the race was shown live in North America for the first time. This meant more people could watch it!

Challenges and Changes

The 2010 race in Chile had to be delayed until September because of an earthquake.

In 2018, horses from Chile couldn't race in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano. This was because of a temporary ban on bringing Chilean horses into Uruguay, where the race was held, due to health concerns at a training center in Chile.

The COVID-19 pandemic also affected the race. The 2020 race in Argentina was run without any spectators. The 2021 race was moved to a different track and held in October instead of March. Only a limited number of vaccinated people were allowed to watch. There were even talks about holding the 2021 race in North America, but it didn't happen.

Race Locations

Since it started, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano has been held at eleven different race tracks in six different countries. This table shows where the race has been held the most:

Times	Track	Country	Years	Conditions
7	Hipódromo de San Isidro		1982, 1992, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2020, 2023	2000 meters turf
6	Hipódromo Chile		1984, 1990, 1997, 2004, 2013, 2022	2000 meters dirt
6	Hipódromo de Monterrico		1987, 1993, 1999, 2008, 2014, 2024	2000 meters dirt, 2200 meters dirt (1987 only)
4	Club Hípico de Santiago		1988, 1995, 2010, 2019	2000 meters turf
4	Hipodromo Nacional de Maroñas		1981, 2006, 2018, 2021	2000 meters dirt

Race Records

This section highlights some of the fastest times and most successful participants in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano.

Speed Records

These are the fastest times recorded for different distances and track types:

• 2000 meters (turf): 1 minute, 56.68 seconds – Ya Primo (2019)
• 2000 meters (dirt): 1 minute, 59.16 seconds – Aero Trem (2021)
• 2100 meters (dirt): 2 minutes, 5.82 seconds – Quick Casablanca (2012)
• 2200 meters (dirt): 2 minutes, 19.40 seconds – Galeno (1987)
• 2400 meters (turf): 2 minutes, 24.88 seconds – Sixties Song (2017)

Most Wins by Participants

• Most wins by a horse:
  • 2 wins – Much Better (1994, 1996)
• Most wins by a jockey:
  • 5 wins – Jorge Ricardo (1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2007)
  • 3 wins – Edwin Talaverano (1993, 1999, 2015)
  • 3 wins – Carlos Trujillo (2008, 2011, 2024)
• Most wins by a trainer:
  • 3 wins – João Luiz Maciel (1991, 1994, 1996)
• Most wins by an owner:
  • 2 wins – Stud Myrna (2008, 2011)
  • 2 wins – Stud TNT (1994, 1996)
• Most wins by a breeder:
  • 3 wins – Haras Río Santa (1986, 1999, 2004)
  • 3 wins – Haras Matancilla (1990, 2010, 2012)
  • 3 wins – Haras J. B. Barros (1994, 1996, 2009)

Wins by Country

This shows which countries have had the most winning horses:

• Brazil – 11 wins
• Chile – 10 wins
• Peru – 10 wins
• Argentina – 7 wins
• Uruguay – 2 wins

Wins by Country Bred

This shows which countries bred the winning horses:

• Brazil – 12 winners
• Chile – 10 winners
• Argentina – 8 winners
• Peru – 7 winners
• United States of America – 3 winners

Recent Winners

Here are some of the recent winners of the Gran Premio Latinoamericano:

Year	Host Track	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Distance	Track	Time
2024	Monterrico	Manyuz (USA)	Carlos Trujillo	Juan Suarez Villarroel	Stud Jet Set	2000 meters	Dirt	2:04.38
2023	San Isidro	Doutor Sureño (BRZ)	Silva José Severo	Neto Victorio Fornasaro	Haras Moema	2000 meters	Turf	1:58.02
2022	Hipódromo Chile	O'Connor (CHI)	Jorge A. González	Carlos Urbina	Stud Irlandés	2000 meters	Dirt	2:03.63
2021	Maroñas	Aero Trem (BRZ)	Vagner Leal	Antonio Cintra	Haras Old Friends	2000 meters	Dirt	1:59.16
2020	San Isidro	Tetaze (ARG)	Gustavo Calvente	Roberto Pellegatta	Stud Juan Antonio	2000 meters	Turf	2:03.71
2019	Club Hípico	Ya Primo (CHI)	Jeremy Laprida	Guillermo Aguirre	Stud La Pacita	2000 meters	Turf	1:56.68

See also

In Spanish: Gran Premio Latinoamericano para niños