Papelon

Papelon (foaled 22 July 2006), also spelled Papelón, is a Chilean Thoroughbred racehorse best known for winning the Group 1 Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella four times. He was named a Chilean divisional champion for five years and was considered the 'King of Staying' in Chile during his career.

Background
Papelon is a chestnut stallion with an off-center star and a small strip. Papelon was bred by Haras San Patricio.

Papelon's sire, Monthir, was bred and raced in the United States. Monthir was thought to have promise for the Kentucky Derby as a two-year-old, but he failed to win any stakes races, although he did finish second in the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes and Grade 2 Hutcheson Stakes and third in the Grade 3 Bay Shore Stakes. Monthir was exported to Chile to stand at Haras San Patricio. Papelon was part of Monthir's second crop.

Papelon's dam Encubierta was unraced and had produced two foals before Papelon, of which one was unraced and the other won twice. Encubierta is a full sister to Escania, Chilean Champion 2-Year-Old Dirt Filly and winner of the Group 1 Tanteo de Potrancas, and Eccellenza, Chilean Champion 2-Year-Old Dirt Filly and Champion 3-Year-Old Dirt Filly and winner of the Group 1 Tanteo de Potrancas and Group 1 Mil Guineas.

Papelon was named after an anecdote from Dr. Ignacio Coloma's father.

Papelon was owned by Stud Kekita and trained by Carlos Urbina during his racing career. He specialized in long distance turf races and heavy track conditions.

2008/09: Two-year-old season
Papelon ran five times in 2009 as a two-year-old, all in maiden races at Hipódromo Chile on the dirt. He lost all five races, although he did finish third twice and second once.

2009/10: Three-year-old season
Papelon broke his maiden on his seventh try, in his second race as a three-year-old, on July 30, 2009. He won the 1200-meter race at Hipódromo Chile by five and a half lengths. Papelon's connections then pointed him towards stakes races, starting with the Group 2 Clásico Domingo Segundo Herrera Martínez on August 15, run over 1500 meters on the dirt at Hipódromo Chile. Papelon finished fourth, but ran credibly enough that he was next entered in the Group 1 Dos Mil Guineas, a 1600-meter dirt race at Hipódromo Chile. In the Dos Mil Guineas, Papelon performed poorly, finishing second to last in the fourteen horse field, seventeen lengths behind the winner.

Within the month, Papelon raced again, in his first race at a new track, finishing second in the 1700-meter Clásico Criadores F. S. de Carreras S. A., an ungraded stakes race run at Valparaiso Sporting Club. He next ran at the third of Chile's major racetracks, and the track where he would eventually mark his greatest victories: Club Hípico de Santiago. The race, the listed stakes Clásico Preparación Luis Cousiño S., was also his first time running clockwise, on the turf, and at a distance of 2000 meters. Papelon won the race by a head, and was next pointed to the Group 1 Clásico El Ensayo, one of the most important races on the Chilean calendar and first race of the Chilean Triple Crown. In the Clásico El Ensayo, Papelon ran fourth behind Belle Watling, who would go on to be the Chilean Horse of the Year for that season. Papelon faced Belle Watling again in his last race of 2009, the Group 2 Gran Clásico Coronación, finished second to her by two and a quarter lengths.

In January 2010, Papelon ran in the Group 1 Clásico El Derby at Valparaiso Sporting Club and finished sixth. He remained at Valparaiso Sporting Club through March and achieved his first graded stakes victories there, winning the Group 3 Clásico Thompson Matthews and Group 2 Clásico Municipal de Viña del Mar, with the latter being his first race against older horses.

Papelon then returned to Club Hípico de Santiago for the Group 1 Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella, the most important race in Chile for turf stayers. He was one of three three-year-olds in the race. Papelon won the 2000-meter race by one and a quarter lengths in a time of 1:56.00. With the win, Papelon earned an entry into the Group 1 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, run at Club Hípico de Santiago that year, also over 2000 meters on the turf. The Gran Premio Latinoamericano had originally been slated to be run in March 2010, but was postponed to September due to an earthquake.

In total, Papelon won five of twelve starts and was named the Chilean Champion Three-Year-Old Turf Male for his campaign.

2010/11: Four-year-old season
Papelon's first race as a four-year-old was the ungraded stakes Clásico Estados Unidos de América on July 16, run over 1700 meters on the turf at Club Hípico de Santiago. He won, and headed towards the Gran Premio Latinoamericano on a four-race long win streak, all in stakes races. Papelon finished fourth in the Gran Premio Latinoamericano behind Belle Watling, but acquitted himself well in what was later called "one of the most emotional finishes of the Latinos" by El Turf.

In October 2010, Papelon won the first of an eventual three Group 3 Clásicos Primavera Hernan Braun P. y Carolina Budge de B., and he finished third in the Group 3 Clásico La Copa to finish out 2010. Papelon won the Group 3 Clásico Verano Arturo Cousiño L. in February 2011 before heading outside Chile for the first time to run in the 2011 Gran Premio Latinoamericano, run over 2000 meters on the turf at Hipódromo de San Isidro that year. In the race, he closed late and failed to make up enough ground, finishing fifth.

Papelon returned to Chile to run in his second Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella in May 2011, his final race as a four-year-old. Despite starting as the favorite, he failed to repeat his previous performance, finishing third behind the three-year-old Sin Respeto.

In total, Papelon won three of seven starts as a four-year-old and was named the Chilean Champion Older Horse for his campaign.

2011/12: Five-year-old season
Papelon didn't return to the racetrack until December 2011, when he won the ungraded stakes Clásico Mega at Club Hípico de Santiago. He next raced in March 2012, taking the Group 2 Clásico Municipal de Viña del Mar, before finishing third in the Group 3 Clásico Otoño Pedro Garcia de la Huerta M. in April.

In late May, Papelon ran in the Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella for the third time. The turf track was heavy, a condition that Papelon favored, and he won by five lengths, becoming the first horse since 1989 to

He raced once more as a five-year-old, finishing second in the Group 3 Clásico Invierno Sergio del Sante M. as the favorite.

In total, Papelon won three of five starts as a five-year-old, including the Group 2 Clásico Municipal de Viña del Mar and his second Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella, and was named the Chilean Champion Grass Horse for his campaign.

2012/13: Six-year-old season
In his first start as a six-year-old, Papelon again won the Clásico Estados Unidos de América before finishing fourth in the Group 2 Clásico Copa de Oro. He won his next two starts, the Group 3 Clásico Primavera Hernan Braun P. y Carolina Budge de B. and the ungraded Clásico Raúl Ovalle U., then ran second in the ungraded Clásico Torbita and Group 2 Clásico Verano Arturo Cousiño L. He added a win in the listed Clásico Luis Aldunate C. and a third in the Group 2 Clásico Copa de Oro Viñas de Chile, all run at Club Hípico de Santiago, before heading to Hipódromo Chile for the Group 1 Gran Premio Hipódromo Chile, in which he finished fourth.

In May, Papelon achieved the unprecedented feat of winning a third Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella when he won the race by four and a half lengths. He closed out his six-year-old season with a win in the Group 2 Clásico Otoño Pedro Garcia de la Huerta M.

In total, Papelon won six of eleven starts as a six-year-old, including the Group 3 Clásico Primavera Hernan Braun P. y Carolina Budge de B., Group 2 Clásico Otoño Pedro Garcia de la Huerta M., and his third Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella, with the year being regarded as his best. He was named the Chilean Champion Older Horse for his campaign.

2013/14: Seven-year-old season
Papelon won the Group 3 Clásico Invierno Sergio del Sante M. in his first race as a seven-year-old in July 2013 before heading to Hipódromo Chile, where he ran third in the Group 3 Clásico Libertador Bernardo O'Higgens Riquelme. Returning to Club Hípico de Santiago, he won the listed Clásico Carreras del '20 and his third Clásico Primavera Hernan Braun P. y Carolina Budge de B., finished second in the Group 3 Clásico La Copa and Group 2 Clásico Verano Arturo Cousiño L., and third in the ungraded Clásico Tobrita.

Papelon attempted the Gran Premio Hipódromo Chile again in 2014, again finishing fourth, before running in the Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella for the fifth time and winning it for the fourth.

Following the win, Papelon went to Hipódromo Chile to train, but suffered a significant injury that forced his retirement from racing. According to Dr. Ignacio Coloma of Haras San Patricio, the injury was severe enough to kill most horses.

In total, Papelon won four of nine starts as a seven-year-old, including the Group 3 Clásico Invierno Sergio del Sante M., Group 3 Clásico Primavera Hernan Braun P. y Carolina Budge de B., and his fourth Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella. He was named the Chilean Champion Older Turf Horse for his campaign.

Papelon retired with earnings of CLP$269,836,129, a record of 21 wins in 49 starts, including four editions of the Group 1 Clásico Club Hípico de Santiago Falabella and five Group 3 and four Group 2 wins, and five Chilean divisional championships.

Race record
An asterisk after the odds means Papelon was the post time favorite.

Stud career
After retiring from racing, Papelon entered stud at Haras San Patricio where he was bred. He has had limited success at stud, with his most successful progeny being the Group 3-placed colt El Mañio.