Oderich Wins the Carioca Derby and Reaffirms Drosselmeyer’s Relevance in Brazil
- Lineage Bloodstock
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
The Grande Prêmio Cruzeiro do Sul (G1), Rio’s Derby run on the turf at Hipódromo da Gávea last Sunday, crowned Oderich (Drosselmeyer) as the best colt of the 2022 crop in Brazil and marked a historic day for trainer Luiz Esteves and stallion Drosselmeyer (Distorted Humor). The bay colt, co-owned by Haras Cariri Pe and Stud Sampaio and bred at Haras Anderson, delivered a performance of quality that confirmed the talent of this promising runner.
The 2,400-meter race was decided in a head-to-head duel between Oderich (by Drosselmeyer out of Energia Garoa, by Agnes Gold) and the consistent Zucca Baby (Hofburg), representing the successful Doce Vale stable. Ridden by Altair Domingos, Oderich circled wide on the final turn and entered the stretch on even terms with Zucca Baby. The pair engaged in a stretch battle that was decided by a nose in favor of Oderich, who stopped the clock in 2:26.49. The race confirmed the stamina of Drosselmeyer’s progeny on heavy going and left Zucca Baby—who had defeated him by more than four lengths in the Paula Machado a month earlier—as a strong contender for the Grande Prêmio Brasil (G1) on June 14. After the race, Domingos told the press: “I’m very grateful for the opportunity. Esteves gave me great confidence after the horse worked. He told me, ‘on Sunday he will win, the horse is doing well.’ The race unfolded perfectly, and to win everything has to go right… he won where the money was, and that’s what matters,” he said with a smile.
After the race, co-owner Thiago Godoy, in tears, declared: “The Derby is different. It is the most important race in the country. We have a special love for the Grande Prêmio Brasil; I’m at a loss for words. Rio is the city I love, and winning a race like this here is incredible.”
The victory marked Luiz Esteves’ third Carioca Derby win and reinforced the dominance of the trainer based at the Verde e Preto training center. Oderich only joined Esteves’ stable in January. Esteves said: “I received the horse in a short timeframe to run the second leg of the Triple Crown. He ran well, and I firmly believed he would win the Derby. He is a very good, very genuine horse.”
Six runners trained by Esteves finished among the first seven in the Derby—excluding only the runner-up—confirming his dominance over this generation. Hours later, Esteves captured another Group 1, this time for three-year-old fillies, the Grande Prêmio Zélia Gonzaga Peixoto de Castro (G1), with Odalisca (Sangarius out of Jennifer Aniston, by Kodiak Kowboy). Ridden by Hélder Fernandes, she drew clear of co-favorite Veil (Can The Man) and stopped the clock in 2:27.11, completing a double that cemented Esteves as the leading figure in Brazilian racing today.
Behind the achievements of Oderich and Gevrey-Chambertain stands Drosselmeyer. The son of Distorted Humor—recently elevated to the “Intermediate-Classic” chef-de-race category—stands at Haras Old Friends in Bagé, Rio Grande do Sul, and continues to produce elite runners at 19 years of age, after winning both the Belmont Stakes and the Breeders’ Cup Classic. On the same card, his daughter Gevrey-Chambertain won the Clássico José Carlos Fragoso Pires (G2), giving the stallion a Group double in a single afternoon. Drosselmeyer’s genetics, combining Distorted Humor with the influence of the Seattle Slew family, adapt to both dirt and turf and have performed particularly well with mares of Japanese lines, as evidenced by the presence of Agnes Gold in Oderich’s pedigree.
In the 2023 crop, two daughters of Drosselmeyer are already standing out. Iluminada, bred and owned by Haras Old Friends and Júlio Camargo (president of the ABCPCC), is trained in Rio by J. C. Sampaio and has already won the Clássico Ministério da Agricultura (L) and a maiden in just three starts. Another stakes winner is Vip Na Balada, who has dominated among fillies at Cidade Jardim in São Paulo, remaining unbeaten in three starts and emerging as a leading contender for the João Cecílio Ferraz (G1), the first top-level race for fillies of the generation.
Haras Anderson, based in Bagé, has reduced its broodmare band in recent years, but the quality of its production remains evident. From its paddocks have emerged champions such as London Moon (Agnes Gold), one of the best milers in Brazil in recent years, now retired to stud at the same farm. Oderich, bred there, represents the continuation of a breeding philosophy focused on stamina and aptitude for classic distances.
The Doce Vale operation, founded by Alfredo Grumser, did not leave empty-handed. Although Zucca Baby finished second again, the son of Hofburg remains remarkably consistent and is one of the early favorites for the G.P. Brasil (G1) in June. Doce Vale also fielded Vivi Magique, the very fast daughter of Can the Man (Into Mischief), out of a Fluke (Wild Event) mare, who returned in the Grade 3 race named after the farm’s founder. Vivi Magique will target the G.P. Major Suckow (G1), a sprint for older horses during the Brasil meeting. Fluke, with only 29 registered offspring—19 of them fillies—is emerging as an elite broodmare sire; from his limited production have come the G1 winners Nostalgie and the Triple Crown winner No Regrets, which increases expectations for Vivi Magique as a future broodmare at the farm managed by Dr. Marcio Stanicki.
The 2022 Brazilian crop shows significant potential. Alongside Oderich and Zucca Baby, Torres Garcia and Uncle King, who completed the Derby order, also earned their place in the Grande Prêmio Brasil (G1). In recent years, the Rio de Janeiro Triple Crown route has become a key pathway to the country’s most prestigious race, highlighted by the fact that five of the last six Derby winners have gone on to compete strongly in the Grande Prêmio Brasil.
It was a memorable day at Gávea, and Jockey Club Brasileiro president Raul Lima Neto commented on the event: “Another festive day and another day with a full grandstand, with a different crowd. A crowd bringing children, young people, and families. We know this audience may not directly impact betting turnover, but it represents renewal, bringing new fans to the sport.”
With the Grande Prêmio Brasil on the horizon, the protagonists of Gávea now prepare for a compelling generational clash.
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