Three-year-old Rich Man's Gold filly Isola Piu Bella finished the year in style on Saturday, scoring a runaway victory over her older rivals in the Clasico Haras de Chile (Chi-G1), the final Group 1 race of the season at Hipodromo Chile in Santiago.
Sent off as the overwhelming favorite at 1/3, Isola Piu Bella romped to an 8¼-length victory over All Glory(USA), a Kentucky-bred daughter of Honour and Glory who has won four stakes races this season. Group 2 winner Assefa finished third in the eight-horse field, which also included no fewer than five other stakes winners.
Ridden by regular pilot Pedro Santos, Isola Piu Bella covered the 2,000 meters (about 1 1/4 miles) in 2:09.60 over a slow track to register her sixth career victory in 11 starts.
The bay daughter of Rich Man's Gold, trained by Alfredo Bagù, racked up her fourth straight Group 1 victory over the Hipodromo Chile dirt oval after annexing the Mil Guineas (Chi-G1) (Chilean One Thousand Guineas) on August 30, the Clasico Alberto Solari Magnasco (Chi-G1) on October 31, and most recently a dominating seven-length victory over the colts in the 117th running of the Gran Premio St. Leger (Chi-G1), the second leg of the Chilean National Triple Crown, on December 2.
With the Champion Three-Year-Old Filly title assured, she looks certain to be voted Champion Three Old and rates the leading contender for Horse-Of-The-Year.
Isola Piu Bella is now scheduled to continue her career in the Unites States by way of her owner-breeder, fruit exporter Oussama Aboughazaleh, who has also announced his intentions to supplement her for the Dubai World Cup (UAE-G1) program on March 27at Nad al Sheba racecourse.
Aboughazaleh's Haras Sumaya campaigns Group/Grade 1 winner Wild Spirit (Chi) in the United States. She is trained by Bobby Frankel.
Isola Piu Bella is out of the winning Inchwood(USA) (In Reality) mare Sweet Music and is a half sister to Group 1-placed stakes winner La Croisette (Great Regent) and Gr2 winner El Sombra (Roy).