November 3, 2022 
When it comes to finding horses, Luis Gonçalves is always looking for a good canter, scope and carefulness – and being sired by Mylord Carthago certainly doesn’t hurt.
“I like a lot that stallion, Mylord Carthago,” explained Gonçalves. “The horses, they are very smart, and they are very cool in the head. They have the blood; they are careful and fighters in the ring. I love them!”
One of those horses is Vick du Croisy, the winner of Thursday’s $30,000 Bridgeport Farms 1.45m Speed at the Desert International Horse Park.
Gonçalves and the 13-year-old Selle Français mare, owned by Sigma Stables LLC, were the 17th entry to take on the Alan Wade-designed speed track, and while 36 other entries would follow them, none could catch Gonçalves. He and Vick du Croisy’s time of 63.370 seconds held up through to the end for the victory. Brazil’s Cassio Rivetti and Chattanooga came the closest to catching them, finishing in second with a time of 63.481 seconds.
“[Vick du Croisy] is a mare that I just bought last June,” said Gonçalves, who rides for Portugal and has been in the U.S. since early 2021. “I showed her a little bit in Ocala at the WEC. After that, I went to Tryon last month. I won the three-star grand prix with her. After that, I crossed America to come here because I love to be here! Today, she started with a good win. I’m very happy.”
Gonçalves continued, “She’s on the blood. I like to go fast, but I try to control myself because on her mind, she’s already too fast! I should be cool in my head doing the things planned like I wanted. We should never show to the horse that we want to go fast.”
Another horse with similar traits to Vick du Croisy? Argan De Beliard, a gelding also out of Mylord Carthago and now being competed to great success on the world stage by the USA’s Lillie Keenan, after being produced by Gonçalves.
“I’m looking for a good canter and scope, but it should be a careful horse,” said Gonçalves of the traits that Vick du Croisy and Argan De Beliard share. “At the same time, they should go in the ring and help us because a smart horse makes our life easier!”
With Thursday’s win under his belt, Gonçalves will now set his short-term sights on Saturday’s $100,000 Hygain Feeds Grand Prix. For full results of Thursday’s $30,000 Bridgeport Farms 1.45m Speed, click here, and to learn more about the Desert International Horse Park, visit www.deserthorsepark.com.
