by @turfeeunapolis
The final of the GP Taça de Ouro was the biggest attraction of the weekend for Quarter Horse racing on the South American continent. Winners of their respective trials, five horses competed over the distance of 350 yards at the Sorocaba Racetrack in São Paulo.
Ridden by jockey Vicente Barros, Apollitical Glory had an excellent break, drifting slightly to her left but quickly aligned in her racing lane. She did not take the lead immediately; the one who assumed the early advantage was her paternal sister, Condessa Flying MV, who managed to run in front for one third of the race.
From the 220-yard mark on, Apollitical Glory took over the lead and began to control the race. Condessa Flying MV could not keep up and was also passed by Polo Fantastic and Messi Fantastic STM, both engaging in a duel for second place. Staying in front, the 3-year-old filly crossed the finish line and became the champion of the GP Taça de Ouro, stopping the clock at 17.700 seconds.
It was the ninth stakes victory and the 23rd overall win of the season for Haras Prata’s breeding program, the statistical leader in the category and also the owner of Apollitical Glory. “Since she was born we had kept her as a genetic reserve, due to the quality of her pedigree,” said Eriquinho. “Expectations had always been very high. In her first training session she already stood out above the others, but a clinical episode a bit more serious took her off the track for quite some time,” he revealed. “Winning this important race with this filly was incredible and will never be forgotten by all of us at Haras Prata,” concluded the heir of the Braga family.
Jockey Vicente Barros, who rode the winner, became a three-time champion of the GP Taça de Ouro, having won the race previously with Edo JQM (2024) and Imperador Eagle MRL (in 2022). He earned his 17th win of the season at the Sorocaba Racetrack, once again forming a successful partnership with trainer Flavio Melo, who has already saddled 19 winners in the same period, earning purses exceeding R$ 700,000 (US$ 123,000) so far in 2025.
The sire of the GP Taça de Ouro winner, Flying Cowboy 123, is in his first crop in Brazil and, just as it was when his offspring debuted on the tracks of the United States, he is recording absolute success at the most important Quarter Horse racetrack in South America. In São Paulo, only seven of his offspring have raced, with five becoming winners, and two of them earning stakes victories. They totaled 11 wins and purse earnings of R$ 166,250 (US$ 29,200).
Apollitical Glory’s dam is Personal Glory (by Walk Thru Fire). She was exported to Brazil in 2017, having previously produced on North American soil. As a racehorse, she won three races at Los Alamitos between 2010 and 2011, earning $172,554.
The runner-up of the GP Taça de Ouro was the colt Polo Fantastic, saddled by trainer Alan Mendes, who is in great form this year. Messi Fantastic STM finished third, representing the Paraguayan ownership of Stud JTM. Condessa Flying MV finished fourth; Fast Good Candy, the most experienced in the field at 5 years old, finished fifth.
