Gran Premio Asociación Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipódromos

The Gran Premio Latinoamericano, formerly known as the Gran Premio Asociación Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipódromos and currently also known as the Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano due to sponsorship reasons, is a Group 1 horse race in Latin America alternatively run in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay. It is the richest and one of the most important races in Latin America.^[1] The Gran Premio Latinoamericano is the only Group 1 race in the world that is itinerant and changes location and country every year.^[2]

The race is run annually in March (excepting exceptional circumstances requiring a change in date) over a distance between 2000 metres (1.2 mi) and 2400 metres (1.5 mi) on either a dirt or turf track and is open to horses three-year-old or older that have been either nominated by a member racecourse or their owner.^[3]

The current member racecourses are the Argentinian Jockey Club (Hipódromo de San Isidro), Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, Hipódromo La Plata, São Paulo Jockey Club (Hipódromo Cidade Jardim), Jockey Club Brasileiro (Hipódromo da Gávea), Club Hípico de Santiago, Hipódromo Chile, Valparaiso Sporting Club, Hipódromo de las Américas, Hípica de Panamá (Hipódromo Presidente Remón), Jockey Club del Perú (Hipódromo de Monterrico), and HRU (Hipodromo Nacional de Maroñas).^[4]

In 1980, the newly formed Latin American Association of Jockey Clubs and Racecourses (Asociación Latinoamericana de Jockey Clubes e Hipódromos), consisting of the Jockey Club de Buenos Aires, Jockey Club Brasileiro, Jockey Club de São Paulo, Club Hípico de Santiago, Hipódromo Chile, Jockey Club del Perú, Jockey Club de Montevideo, and Jockey Club de Venezuela, met and began planning an international race among them, rotating between the member racecourses, that eventually became the Gran Premio Latinoamericano. Mexico, Panama, and Puerto Rico later joined the Association, and in 2012 the Association was integrated into OSAF, the South American Organization for the Development of Thoroughbreds (Organización Sudamericana de Fomento del Sangre Pura de Carrera).^[4]

The Gran Premio Latinoamericano was first run in 1981 at Hipodromo Nacional de Maroñas.^[5] From 2000 to 2003, the race was not run due to a lack of money, but has been continuously run since 2004. The race has been sponsored by Longines since 2014. In 2016, the race was established as a race open to any horse originating from any country and was the first time that doping control was performed in a reference lab as recognized by the International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA).^[4]

The greatest number of entries to run in the race is 18, first in 1986 and again in 2020.^[6] All but five of the winners were bred in the country they represented, with the exceptions being Good Report in 2007 (Argentina-bred, ran for Uruguay), Deepak in 2008 (USA-bred, ran for Peru), Lideris in 2014 (USA-bred, ran for Peru), Aero Trem in 2021 (Brazilian-bred, ran for Uruguay), and Manyuz in 2024 (USA-bred, ran for Peru).^[7]

The 2006 running was the first time the race was simulcasted in North America, with Laurel Park serving as the hub.^[8]

The 2010 edition, run at Club Hípico de Santiago in Chile, was postponed until September due to an earthquake.^[9]

In 2018, Chilean horses were not allowed to take part in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano due to a temporary ban on importing Chilean horses into the hosting country of Uruguay on account of a contagious disease outbreak at a Chilean training center.^[10]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 edition of the race was in doubt and finally run behind closed doors as part of the last day of racing in Argentina for five months. The 2021 was initially set to run at Hipódromo de Monterrico, but was instead moved to Hipódromo de Maroñas and run in October instead of its usual March date, in front of a crowd of spectators limited to 3,500 fully vaccinated people.^[5][11]

Discussions were held about hosting the 2021 edition in North America for the first time, at Gulfstream Park.^[2]

In 2021, all three Uruguayan entries were owned, trained, and ridden by Brazilians, with the only Uruguayan professional involved being Héctor Fabián Lazo, jockey of the Chilean entry Win Here.^[11]

Since its inauguration, the Gran Premio Latinoamericano has been run at eleven different tracks in six different countries.^[7]

Speed records:

• 2000 meters (turf): 1:56.68 – Ya Primo (2019)
• 2000 meters (dirt): 1:59.16 – Aero Trem (2021)
• 2100 meters (dirt): 2:05.82 – Quick Casablanca (2012)
• 2200 meters (dirt): 2:19.40 – Galeno (1987)
• 2400 meters (turf): 2:24.88 – Sixties Song (2017)

Most wins:

• 2 – Much Better (1994, 1996)

Most wins by a jockey:

• 5 – Jorge Ricardo (1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2007)
• 3 – Edwin Talaverano (1993, 1999, 2015)
• 3 – Carlos Trujillo (2008, 2011, 2024)
• 2 – Jorge Valdivieso (1989, 2005)
• 2 – Victor Bardales (1986, 1987)

Most wins by a trainer:

• 3 – João Luiz Maciel (1991, 1994, 1996)
• 2 – Jorge Salas Vera (2008, 2011)

Most wins by an owner:

• 2 – Stud Myrna (2008, 2011)
• 2 – Stud TNT (1994, 1996)

Most wins by a breeder:

• 3 – Haras Río Santa (1986, 1999, 2004)
• 3 – Haras Matancilla (1990, 2010, 2012)
• 3 – Haras J. B. Barros (1994, 1996, 2009)

Wins by country:

• Brazil – 11 (1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2016, 2023)
• Chile – 10 (1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2022)
• Peru – 10 (1986, 1987, 1993, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2024)
• Argentina – 7 (1989, 1992, 2005, 2006, 2017, 2018, 2020)
• Uruguay – 2 (2007, 2021)

Wins by country bred:

• Brazil – 12 (1981, 1982, 1983, 1985, 1991, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 2016, 2021, 2023)
• Chile – 10 (1984, 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2019, 2022)
• Argentina – 8 (1989, 1992, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2017, 2018, 2020)
• Peru – 7 (1986, 1987, 1993, 1999, 2004, 2011, 2015)
• United States of America – 3 (2008, 2014, 2024)

ƒ designates a filly or mare winner

^[7]

• Winners of all the years