Los Machitos Win John T. Oxley Memorial; Lucas Criado Jr. Sweeps MVP, BPP Honors
- Candace Ferreira
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
WELLINGTON, FL., April 4, 2025---Los Machitos rallied in the sixth chukker to win the John T. Oxley Memorial Thursday at windswept Grand Champions Polo Club.
By Sharon Robb
Photos by Candace Ferreira
Trailing by as many as four goals early in the game, Los Machitos (Larry Austin, 0, Joao Pedro Souza, 2, Lucas Criado Jr., 7, Torito Ruiz, 7) scored four unanswered goals in the final chukker to defeat (Mariano Gracida, 4, Grant Ganzi, 3, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 13-10.
It was the second time Los Machitos defeated Casablanca. In the 16-goal tournament opener, Los Machitos won, 11-7.
Lucas Criado Jr., 21, swept the Most Valuable Player and Best Playing Pony honors. Machitos Rococo, a 6-year-old Bay mare, owned and played by Criado Jr. in the fifth chukker, was Best Playing Pony.
Colt M4, a Bay stallion, played by Ganzi and bred and owned by Santa Rita Polo Farm, was the American Polo Horse Association Best Playing Pony.
Casablanca controlled most of the first half. Casablanca scored the opening goal when Collingwood's 120-yard pass found Ganzi who scored from 60 yards out at the 6:15 mark. Five minutes later, Ruiz scored to tie the game.
The lead changed hands three times in the second chukker before Gonzalez' 40-yard penalty conversion regained the lead for Casablanca, 4-3.
Casablanca pulled away for an 8-4 lead late in the third chukker. With the score tied 4-4, Collingwood's long goal made it 5-4. Gracida then connected with Ganzi to make it 6-4. After a brief injury timeout for Criado Jr., Collingwood's long pass set Gracida's goal up for a 7-4 lead. Gracida scored again after great passing from Collingwood to Gonzalez and finally Gracida for an 8-4 advantage. Ruiz scored late in the chukker to trail 8-5 at the half.
In the first half, Casablanca outshot Los Machitos, 10-5. Los Machitos led throw-ins, 7-5, and knock-ins, 2-0. Each team committed only two fouls.
The second half was a different story with Los Machitos coming out strong behind the one-two punch of Criado Jr. and Ruiz. Los Machitos scored the opening goal in the fourth chukker when Criado Jr. won the throw-in and connected with Ruiz to trail, 8-6.
After two missed Los Machitos scoring opportunities, Criado Jr. took advantage of a broken play to score with 3:22 left to trail, 8-7.
After the pony courtesy change, Gonzalez took a great pass from Collingwood to score and extend Casblanca's lead, 9-7. With 1:20 left, Criado Jr. connected with Ruiz, to trail by one, 9-8.
After missing a scoing opportunity at the end of the fouth, Los Machitoes tied the game, 9-9, when Ruiz scored off a 100-yard pass from Criado Jr. Casablanca regained the lead on Gonzalez' 30-yard penalty conversion for a 10-9 advantage. But that would be the last time Casablanca would score.
The sixth chukker was all Los Machitos. Criado Jr. weaved his way through defenders to open the chukker with a goal for a 10-10 tie. Two minutes later, Souza picked up a loose ball to score and take the lead, 11-10. Criado Jr. hit Ruiz again with a great pass for a 12-10 lead.
Casablanca's offense could not get untracked, missing a scoring opportunity that would have cut the lead to one. Instead, Los Machitos controlled the ball in the final minute with Criado Jr. coming up with a steal and another goal with 17 seconds left.
Ruiz had a game-high eight goals. Criado Jr. had four and Souza added one. For Casablanca, Gonzalez led with five goals. Gracida and Ganzi each had two and Collingwood added one.
For the game, Los Machitos outshot Casablanca, 18-5, led knock-ins, 6-5, and throw-ins, 14-11. Casablanca committed five fouls to Los Machitos' three.
The John T. Oxley Memorial Trophy is kept at the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame. It was gifted to the Museum by his son Jack Oxley and Royal Palm Polo Club at the time of the club’s closing in May 2008. Established in honor of Oxley, the first year playing for the trophy was in 1997 at Royal Palm Polo and Sports Club.
Inducted into the Museum’s Hall of Fame in 1994, Oxley was recognized as a pioneer in polo. The founder of the Royal Palm Polo Sports Club in Boca Raton, Oxley played polo well into his 80s. He started playing at age 46 and won the U.S. Open twice, Sunshine League, Rolex Gold Cup, Monty Waterbury and Silver Cup.
At age 83, Oxley became the oldest player ever to win a major polo event when his team won the International Gold Cup. Oxley died of a heart attack at his summer home in Tulsa, Okla. in 1996. He was 87.