  Torrejon
On the 9 of April 1.975, in the fertile lands of Haras Alto de Uslar, C'est Cela gave birth to a male by Sadair (to the left).By his impressing look, Moises Benacerraf knew that he had in his hands a future champion, and so it was.The colt in question was called Torrejon, in virtue of one small village near Madrid, Spain, and was registered to run with the blue and yellow silks of the Stud "Abi-Car-Ben", of three important owners of our horseracing history, Alberto Abilahoud, Federico Carmona and his proud breeder, Moises Benacerraf, who negociated with the two previous owners in order to ask for by Torrejon, Bolivares 250.000 in a public auction but nobody paid this amount.
Already in The Rinconada Stables, he was trained by Abigail Colmenares
On the 20 of November 1.977 and over 6 furlongs, Torrejon debuts in a race for colts, where also made his debut the most expensive colt of the generation, Siboney, who under the preparation of Eduardo Azpurna and ridden by Juan Vicente Tovar reached the victory, with Torrejon in second position.Two weeks later and over 6,5 furlongs, Torrejon won his first race by 9 lenghts, and so culminates his very short two years old season.
He makes his entry in his best year, winning by 14 lenghts in the only night performance of his season: he wins another race and he goes direct to his first fire proof, the classical, Gobernador del Distrito Federal, getting great advantage at the start and going down in the last meters, arriving third after Siboney.
Argimiro Guerrero, until that moment usual jockey of Torrejon is replaced by Balsamino Moreira, who won with him the Gradisco Cup, arrives second of Mahogany in the Charles Rohl, wins the Antonio Cuadrado Cup and arrives in fifth position in the Fedeharas Selection.Three weeks later wins the Pedro Emilio Yumar Cup and in this way he remains ready for the Triple Crown.
After an excellent performance, he wins by 5 lenghts the Jose Antonio Paez, setting record time in this Classic race with 97'1, showing an important superiority.The Mac was another easy victory for the grandson of Petare, this time, are more than 9 lenghts that separate him from the second, who was the horse Con Clase.
And, so we arrived to one of the most dantesque passages of our horseracing history, when a strategy is designeed to damage the great son of Sadair.Result, the sixth out of the race and his jockey was suspend for ten years.Con Clase wins the Venezuelan Republic Cup and of this way, the horseracing could not have his third winner of the Venezuelan Triple Crown.
It was really emotional the ovation which Torrejon received when entering to the track in order to run The Coproca Classical.Moreira, with an exceptional mount, took him maybe, to his most tremendous victory; under the rain, he gave a recital and overcame the million of Bolivares in earnings.
The 12 furlongs of The President of the Republic was too long for him and his rival Auroreņo won the race, and,in the same way Auroreņo wins in the Cavepro Cup and in the Asociacion Hipica de Propietarios, with Torrejon finishing in second position in both races.
And the great appointment arrives, the unforgettable 29 of October 1.978, with the dispute of the Gran Premio Clasico Simon Bolivar, with everything in favour of Auroreņo, favorite 1-9, against 3-1 of Torrejon, which indicated clearly that the distance - 12 furlongs - would be the main problem to save by Torrejon, but arrived the opportunity to demostrate to all who was the best horse.
The stalls are open and Torrejon goes out to control de situation, but when turning the first curve, Raulito takes the leadership.In front, Auroreņo y Blondy launched over Torrejon who had already passed Raulito.And there, in the 10 furlongs post, where Auroreņo passed to dominate the race in the three Classicals with a great facility, finds a Torrejon who confronts him and mantains him to 1/2 lenght.Parra, jockey of Auroreņo, tries again, and in that instant is when Balsamino Moreira calls Torrejon to run, and according to the words of Moises Benacerraf himself, there the race finished; the rest was a sovereign gallop as far as the winning post.The people concluded what could have happend in the third leg of the Venezuelan Triple Crown.Torrejon won the race over Auroreņo by 5 lenghts.
His rivals appear again in The Cria Nacional Cup, and really was a great race.The final straight was unforgettable, winning Torrejon by a nose, in a race to be remembered.Without luck, Torrejon and Auroreņo represented Venezuela in The Clasico del Caribe in Puerto Rico, arriving fourth and third respectively of a mexican machine called Ezgarta.
The year 1.978 is closed with the victory of Torrejon in The Venezuelan Jockey Club, being named Horse of the Year and his owners won the statistic, relegating the Tempura Stud - owners of Blondy - to the second position with this last classical victory.
In 1.979, Torrejon only run in the Alfredo Abilahoud Cup getting a victory in a canter.After, he was out of training one year.
Recuperated, he reappears exactly in the same selective proof in 1.980, and wins again.One month later, he runs the Burlesco Classical and wins the race, but showing that he is not the same horse, defeating Tatuaje by a neck.After, and one contradictory decision, the horse is running in the Jose Maria Vargas Cup and the result cannot be another, seventh, to 30 lenghts of the winner, the great Negresco.His owners, trying to reach the earnings top by a horse in Venezuela, run Torrejon in two handicaps with the top of 64 kilos, reaching two very gloomy fourth places, and finishing of this way, his horseracing life.
And so was written the history of one of the greatest horses of the Venezuelan horseracing, with 15 victories (11 in Stakes races) and 9 places (6 in Stakes races), earning Bolivares 3.738.465 over 26 stars.
Torrejon was ridden 5 times by Argimiro Guerrero, 20 by Balsamino Moreira and once by Jesus Rodriguez.He run in seven different distances, from 6 furlongs up to 12 furlongs, winning in six of them (except in 6 furlongs).
In the stud, regrettably, Torrejon could not stand out for physical problems, but he had several winners, among them, Torrecilla (por Vrissis, madre de Volantin) who gave him his first victory in the stud, Tolouse, Garota, Castizo, Linda, Catira, Torrejera y Sarzana among others.Among his grandsons from his mother, we have the selective Colomer and Cazorla.
Torrejon died in April of 1.997 in Haras Alto of Uslar.
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