Clásico Internacional del Caribe

Black Type race
"The Caribbean Derby"
Location	Variable
Inaugurated	1966
Race type	Thoroughbred
Website	Clásico del Caribe
Race information
Distance	1+1⁄8 miles (1,800 m)
Surface	Dirt
Track	Left-handed
Qualification	3-year-old
Weight	Winner Countries: Colt/Gelding: 124 lbs Filly: 118 lbs Other Countries: Colt/Gelding/Filly: 116 lbs
Purse	US$300,000

The Clásico Internacional del Caribe or Caribbean Derby is the thoroughbred most important black-type stakes race in the Caribbean for three-year-old thoroughbred horses, held on the month of December. The race features the best 3-year-old colts and fillies from the countries which are members of the Confederacion Hipica del Caribe.

Along with the celebration of the Clásico Internacional del Caribe, four other international races are programmed during the weekend festivities. These races are the Copa Velocidad (Caribbean Sprint Cup) (6f), Copa Dama del Caribe (Caribbean Ladies' Classic) (8.5f), Copa Invitacional del Caribe (10f), and the Confraternity Cup (10f) for 3 & up horses.

The 2017 edition of the Clásico Internacional del Caribe was held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Florida. Gulfstream was the first pari-mutuel track outside of Latin American and the Caribbean to host the event.^[1] Bringing for the first time World class substance abuse rules to the most important Race of the Caribbean and a LEVELED field of competition for ALL the countries which are members of the Confederacion Hipica del CAribe.

History

The Clásico Internacional del Caribe occurred after thirteen years of arduous work. Engineer Ramón Llobet Jr and Lic. Abelardo Ruiz Suria, among other distinguished Puerto Rican horsemen, created the event in 1966. This derby was designed in order to strengthen ties of friendship and brotherhood between the countries of the Caribbean. To be eligible to run in the Clásico a thoroughbred must be bred in one of the confederation member nations.

Panamá is the country with most winning in this black-type stakes with 15 followed by Venezuela with 14, Mexico with 11 and Puerto Rico with 8. Colombia and Dominican Republic has won the stakes only once. The Venezuelan jockey Emisael Jaramillo has more victories in this stake with 5 followed by Panamanian Cornelio Velásquez with 3.

Four jockeys have won both the Kentucky Derby and the Clasico Internacional del Caribe:

• Gustavo Ávila (Canonero II and Victoreado (VEN))
• Jacinto Vásquez (Genuine Risk, and Barremina (PAN))
• Laffit Pincay Jr. (Swale and Pikotazo (MEX))
• Joel Rosario (Orb and Sicotico (DOM))

Gustavo Ávila is the only jockey to win the Preakness Stakes and the Caribbean Derby (Canonero II and Victoreado (VEN)).

Five jockeys have won the Belmont Stakes and the Caribbean Derby:

• Ruben Hernandez (Coastal and Ezgarta (MEX))
• Laffit Pincay Jr. (Conquistador Cielo, Swale, Caveat and Pikotazo (MEX))
• Fernando Jara (Jazil and Ay Papá (PAN))
• Joel Rosario (Tonalist and Sicotico (DOM))
• Irad Ortiz Jr. (Creator and Jala Jala (MEX))

Venezuela is the only country to win on four consecutive occasions (with Bambera in 2009, Water Jet in 2010, Heisenberg in 2011 and El de Chine in 2012). On eleven occasions a country has managed to finish in the top two positions: Mexico with Guadamur and Gumiel (1969), Voy por Uno and Barrullero (1976) and Ezgarta and Gran Zar (1978); Venezuela with Rayo Laser and Gallardete (1987), Alighieri and Jib Dancer (1997), Water Jet and Gran Charlie (2010); Panama with Cortisol and Gotti (1999), and El Tigre Mono and Chantik (2016); and Puerto Rico with Vuelve Candy B. and Satin Charger (1991), Borrascoso and Shahid (2005), Soy Conquistador and Primero Nieto (2007). In 2009, for the first time officially two fillies occupied the top two positions: Bambera (VEN) and Vivian Record (MEX). In 1996 two fillies, Angelical (PAN) and La Supernova (PR), occupied the top two positions but the latter was disqualified to the 3rd position.

On one occasion a brother-sister team sired by the same horse were the first and second-place finishers: El Tigre Mono and Chantik finished 1–2 in 2016. Both were sired by Concerto.

The longest gap between winners of one country is of 14 years (Puerto Rico – Wiso G, 1968 to Guaybanex, 1982 and Soy Conquistador, 2007 to Tamborero, 2021).

Pikotazo (MEX) is the only winner of the Clásico del Caribe to run in the US Triple Crown Race (in the 1980 Belmont Stakes, finishing 10th).

Verset Dancer (PR) was the first filly to win the Clásico del Caribe, also establishing a track (the then Hipodromo El Comandante) and stake record (1:50:1/5). Six more fillies beside Verset Dancer have won the Clásico del Caribe: Galilea (COL) in 1984; Angelical (PAN) in 1996; Alexia (PAN) in 2001; Bambera (VEN) in 2009; Ninfa del Cielo (VEN) in 2014; and Jala Jala (MEX) in 2017.

Verset Jet (PR), winner in 1993 is a product out of Verset Dancer (PR), winner in 1983.

Rosemary Homeister Jr. is the first (and so far only) female jockey to win the Clasico del Caribe.

Five Clasico del Caribe winners went to win the Copa Confraternidad (Confraternity Cup): Verset Jet (PR) in 1994; My Own Business (VEN) in 2002 and 2003; Soy Conquistador (PR) in 2009; El Tigre Mono (PAN) in 2017; and Kukulkan (MEX) in 2019.

Winners of the Clásico Internacional del Caribe

Year	Host Track	Winner	Jockey	Trainer	Owner	Time
2024	La Rinconada
2023	Presidente Remón	Blessed Ben Hur	Luis Saez	Mario Estevez	Stud Dani Sam	1:55.00
2022	La Rinconada	Iniesta †	Paco Lopez	Oscar Gonzalez	Cuadra San Isidro	1:51.09
2021	Camarero	Tamborero	Juan Carlos Diaz	Ramon Morales	Sonata Stable	1:53.70
2020	Not held
2019	Gulfstream Park	The Brother Slew	Paco Lopez	Paul Valery	Stud Chamberi	1:51.76
2018	Gulfstream Park	Kukulkan †	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Fausto Gutierrez	Cuadra San Jorge	1:54.80
2017	Gulfstream Park[note 1]	Jala Jala ‡	Irad Ortiz Jr.	Fausto Gutierrez	Cuadra San Jorge	1:52.14
2016	Camarero	El Tigre Mono	Felix Salgado	Carlos Espino Guanti	Stud Marathon	1:57.33
2015	Presidente Remón	Calinico [note 2]	Jose Lezcano	Alberto Paz Rodríguez	Stud Campo Azul	1:57:33
2014	La Rinconada	Ninfa del Cielo ‡	Emisael Jaramillo	Juan Carlos Ávila	Stud El Oso Yogui	1:51.00
2013	Presidente Remón	Diamante Negro	Moisés Gonzalez	Ulises Silva Trejo	Cuadra Mapa	1:54:54
2012	Camarero	El de Chine	Emisael Jaramillo	Juan Carlos Ávila	Stud Monte Piedad	1:52.69
2011	Presidente Remón	Heisenberg	Emisael Jaramillo	Santos Mario Domínguez	Stud Jabces	1:54.00
2010	La Rinconada	Water Jet †	Emisael Jaramillo	Gustavo Delgado	Establo El Fantasma	1:48.80[note 3]
2009	Camarero	Bambera ‡	Edgar Pérez	Gustavo Delgado	Establo Paula-C	1:51.60
2008	Camarero	Sicótico †	Joel Rosario	Eugenio Deschamps	Establo Jacksan	1:52.54
2007	Camarero	Soy Conquistador	Hector Berrios	Máximo Gomez	Establo Edelsam	1:50.06[note 4]
2006	El Comandante	Ay Papá	Fernando Jara	José Carrillo	Stud Angel C	1:53.02
2005	El Comandante	Borrascoso	Alexis Feliciano	Sammy Garcia	Silent Stable	1:54.60
2004	El Comandante	Spago †	Cornelio Velásquez	Moises Henriquez	Stud La Marea	1:52.47
2003	El Comandante	Cafajeste	Cornelio Velásquez	Rafael Fernández Prado	Stud Full House	1:53.73
2002	El Comandante	Gran Abuelo	Angel Castillo	Gustavo Delgado	Stud Los Grandes	1:52.27
2001	El Comandante	Alexia ‡	Rosemary Homeister Jr.	Eric Gittens	Stud Campo Azul	1:54.56
2000	El Comandante	My Own Business	Emisael Jaramillo	Antonio Bellardi	Stud Fantasia	1:51.76
1999	Presidente Remón	Cortisol	Camilo Pitty	Julio Torres	Stud Cantón	1:52.20
1998	Santa Rosa Park	Evaristo † [note 5]	Jesus Barria	Roberto Arango	Stud El Naranjo	1:52.22
1997	La Rinconada	Alighieri	Douglas Valiente	Aantonio Catanese	Stud San Omero	1:50.40
1996	El Comandante	Angelical ‡	Roberto Perez	Roberto Arango	Stud Nakacat	1:54.73
1995	V Centenário	Locochón	Javier Matías	Juan Ruiz Garcia	Cuadra Santa Rita	1:49.2/5
1994	El Comandante	El Gran Nano [note 6]	Julio Garcia	Jesus M. Rodriguez	Establo Tres M.	N/A
1993	El Comandante	Verset's Jet	Juan Cintrón	Jorge Maymo	Establo Mandarria	1:51.2/5
1992	El Comandante	Leonardo †	Cornelio Velásquez	Alberto Paz Rodriguez	Stud La Marea	1:51.3/5
1991	El Comandante	Vuelve Candy B. † [note 7]	Julio Garcia	Candelario Bonilla	Establo Nori-Annette	N/A
1990	Santa Rita	Don Fabián	Juan V. Tovar	César Cachazo	Stud Doña Félida	1:59.0 [note 8]
1989	El Comandante	Pan de los Pobres	Alfredo Smith Jr.	Felix Rodriguez Jr.	Lucky Four Stables	1:53.1/5
1988	Caliente	Don Gabriel	Humberto Enriquez	Alfredo Márquez	Cuadra San Gabriel	1:51.4/5
1987	El Comandante	Rayo Laser	Rafael Torrealba	Agustin Bezara	Establo Tamborazo	1:52.3/5
1986	Caliente	Benemérito	Douglas Valiente	Daniel Perez	Stud Gorjeadora	1:49.3/5
1985	La Rinconada	Patilargo	Victor Tejada	Felix Rodriguez Jr.	Militza y Carlos Romero	1:58.0 [note 9]
1984	Presidente Remón	Galilea ‡	Jorge Duarte	Manuel Munar	Haras Santa Lucía	1:57.2/5
1983	El Comandante	Verset Dancer ‡	Santos Navarro	Jose Maymo	Establo Pro	1:50.1/5
1982	El Comandante	Guaybanex	Juan Santiago	Juan M. Rodriguez	Establo Caribe	1:53.3/5
1981	El Comandante	El Cómico	Victor Tejada	Dario Ramos	Stud Los Novatos	1:53.3/5
1980	La Rinconada	Pikotazo †	Laffit Pincay Jr.	Alberto Barrera	Cuadra Just Horgus	1:52.1/5
1979	Not held
1978	El Comandante	Ezgarta	Ruben Hernandez	Eusebio Razo Beltran	Cuadra Sigui	1:51.0
1977	El Comandante	Huracan Sí	Argenis Rosillo	Juan Vidal	Stud Balbico	1:54.2/5
1976	Las Américas	Voy por Uno	Gustavo Marquez	Eusebio Razo Beltran	Cuadra Ely	1:55.3/5
1975	La Rinconada	Teziutlán	Alberto Zepeda	René Castillo	Jorge Sarur Aburto	2:02.0 [note 10]
1974	El Comandante	Barremina	Jacinto Vásquez	Alberto Paz Rodriguez	Stud Characo	1:54.3/5
1973	Presidente Remón	Montecarlo †	Marcel Zuñiga	Felix Rodriguez	Dolores de Shulte	1:57.3/5
1972	Not held
1971	La Rinconada	Nacozareño	Guillermo Gavidia	Tomas Lopez Altamira	Cuadra Georgina	1:54.0
1970	Presidente Remón	Hashin	Miguel Yanez	Jose Barba	Cuadra Carrusel	1:56.3/5
1969	Las Américas	Guadamur	Alberto Zepeda	Antonio Justo	Cuadra Carrusel	1:52.4/5
1968	El Comandante	Wiso G.	Carlos Lopez	Diego Acevedo	Cinderella Stud	1:54.1/5
1967	La Rinconada	El Comanche	Ruben Contreras	Claudino Hernandez	Cuadra San Luis	1:56.3/5
1966	El Comandante	Victoreado	Gustavo Ávila	Domingo Noguera Mora	Stud Raga	1:56.1/5

Winners by country

Country	Wins
Panama	15
Venezuela	14
Mexico	14
Puerto Rico	8
Colombia	1
Dominican Republic	1

^[2][3]

References

External links

• seriehipicadelcaribe.com