It came as no surprise to anyone who followed Ivar (BRZ) throughout his 2yo campaign last year, that he would be named 2YO Champion Colt at the Pellegrini awards on August 12. With the results now official, the impressive dark bay colt out of May Be Now (Smart Strike) by Brazilian based stallion, Agnes Gold (JPN) (Sunday Silence) becomes the first non-Argentine bred colt to win that honor. Trained by Daniel Etchetchoury and ridden by Jose Da Silva and Adrian Gianneti throughout his time in Argentina, Ivar (BRZ) was an undefeated 2yo taking both the Gran Criterium (G1-Turf) and the Estrellas Juvenile (G1-Dirt) in unmatched fashion. Ivar (BRZ) is also the first non-Argentine winner of the G1 Estrellas Juvenile.
Bred in Brazil by Stud RDI, LLC, Ivar (BRZ) broke his maiden May 5th, 2019 at San Isidro and headed right to the G1 level following that performance. After his smashing 2yo campaign, Ivar (BRZ) was sent to the United States to trainer Paulo Lobo where he wintered before winning an allowance on June 18 at Churchill Downs in gutsy fashion. The now Stud RDI & Bonne Chance Farm owned Ivar (BRZ) will return to the stakes levels for his next start expected to come mid September.
Bonne Chance Farm sold May Be Now in 2017 in-foal to Hard Spun and bought her back privately last year following Ivar’s success. Hard Strike (2 C by Hard Spun) won a maiden special weight on debut at Ellis Park on 7/4/20 for Trainer Kenny McPeek and Walking L Thoroughbreds, LLC. May Be Now is also the dam of a 2019 filly by Cupid, had a 2020 filly by Hard Spun, and is currently in-foal to dual surface multiple G1 winner, Yoshida (JPN).