Edwin ‘Sugar’ Díaz has 260 career saves, three Reliever of the Year awards, and — as of Sunday, October 18 — a horse punched into the Caribbean Invitational Cup. Septarian, the four-year-old colt from Stable Sugar Díaz LLC, won his qualifier at Hipódromo Camarero in 1:49.14 over 1,800 meters, pulling away by seven lengths to earn a spot representing Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Horse Racing Series on December 6 at that same track.
A winner on the track — with a closer’s name to match
Septarian didn’t arrive at Camarero just to fill a field. The imported four-year-old, a son of stallion Protónico, trained by José Dan Vélez and ridden by Jean Carlos Díaz, had already won the Grade 2 Father’s Day Classic in his island debut back in June 2026. In September, he came within hundredths of a second of Camarero’s all-time track record for 1,700 meters — a mark set in 1978 that only seven horses in the track’s history have ever broken.
Sunday’s win pushed Septarian’s career record to six victories in twelve starts. Runner-up Monaguillo (USA) finished seven lengths back. Defending Caribbean Invitational Cup champion Upstanding (USA) finished last after throwing a shoe on his front left hoof.
The Caribbean Horse Racing Series comes to Puerto Rico in December
Septarian is now entered in the Caribbean Invitational Cup for Imported Horses, the marquee race of the regional calendar. The race goes December 6 at Camarero, at 2,000 meters, with a $75,000 purse. The full Series runs December 5–6, with delegations from Ecuador, Mexico, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Panama.
Puerto Rico landing the event wasn’t an accident: the Puerto Rican government committed one million dollars to secure the host spot, which most recently had been in Panama. The announcement came out of the Caribbean Horse Racing Confederation’s mid-year meeting in Santo Domingo.
For Stable Sugar Díaz LLC, showing up with Septarian isn’t a side project — it’s the next step in a horse racing operation that opened with a graded classic and nearly cracked a nearly 50-year-old track record.
Sugar Díaz: MLB closer and horse owner on his home island
The horse racing side of Díaz’s life doesn’t get much attention outside Puerto Rico, but it’s been building for years. The Los Angeles Dodgers reliever has developed Stable Sugar Díaz LLC as a personal project on the island, and Septarian is currently his strongest card at the track.
On the diamond, Díaz’s 2026 season has been rough on paper: ERA of 8.68 in 18.2 innings across 21 games, with a WHIP of 1.98. But Statcast tells a different story. His xERA sits at 4.60, reflecting the actual quality of contact he’s allowed. His fastball still averages 96.5 mph (82nd percentile among all MLB pitchers), and he’s striking out 29.2% of batters faced — 28 strikeouts against 11 walks. He’s also saved 7 games.
The underlying numbers paint a clearer picture of what Díaz still brings:
- ERA: 8.68 | xERA: 4.60
- Strikeout rate: 29.2% | Whiff rate: 24.9%
- Fastball: 96.5 mph avg, 2,332 rpm spin rate (82nd percentile)
- Exit velocity allowed: 90.7 mph | Barrel rate allowed: 7.5%
- Batting average against: .321 | WHIP: 1.98
On October Sundays away from Dodger Stadium, the view looks a little different: a racetrack in Canóvanas, a stable with his name on it, and a qualifier won by seven lengths. The stats — on the mound and at the track — are doing the talking.
