3 Graces Polo, Sebilion Meet Sunday In Spring Season Finale The Memorial

WELLINGTON, FL., May 24, 2025---Sebilion will play 3 Graces Polo in The Memorial on Sunday, the fifth and final tournament of the spring season at Grand Champions Polo Club.

By Sharon Robb

Photos by Candace Ferreira

3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, Santi Toccalino, 7, Nic Roldan, 7, Juan Bollini 3), making its debut in a spring final, knocked off Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 10-9, in the opening semifinal.

Sebilion-Too (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Martin Jauregui, 6) defeated Sebilion I  (Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Matias Gonzalez, 4), 8-6, in the other semifinal.

On Sunday, the subsidiary is 9:30 a.m. on Field One followed by the final at 11 a.m. on Field Two. Admission is free.

SEBILION-TOO 8, SEBILION I 6

Sebilion will be after its third spring tournament win after the foursome rallied in the fifth chukker.

Sebilion-Too trailed for most of the first half with Sebilion taking a 5-3 halftime lead after Erskine scored on a nearside neck shot in the final minute.

After four lead changes in the fourth chukker, Sebilion-Too tied the game, 6-6, on Astrada's goal with 21 seconds left. The fifth chukker was more of a defensive battle with Jauregui connecting with Sebastian Mandelbaum who scored the only goal of the chukker for a 7-6 lead.

Astrada scored the final goal of the game with 1:18 left in the sixth chukker to ice the game for an 8-6 win.

Astrada scored a game-high four goals. Sebastiasn Mandelbaum, Jauregui and Gracida each had one goal. The team also picked up a goal on handicap. For Sebilion, Pieres and Erskine each had two goals and Leo Mandelbaum and Matias Gonzalez each had one.

3 GRACES POLO 10, NEWPORT 9

The game was close from start-to-finish with the lead changing hands seven times before 3 Graces Polo (Rebecca Cohen, Santi Toccalino, 7, Nic Roldan, 7, Juan Bollini 3) went on to advance into its first spring final defeating Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5), 10-9.

With 1:43 left in the game and 3 Graces Polo Santi Toccalino made his way through a crowd to score for a 10-8 lead which turned out to be the winning goal. Mannix scored the final goal but Newport ran out of time to rally.

3 Graces Polo took a 5-3 halftime lead after shutting out Newport in the opening and third chukker. Newport came within one goal of 3 Graces Polo twice early in the sixth chukker but could get no closer.

Roldan scored a game-high eight goals, including five penalty conversions. Cohen and Toccalino each scored one goal. For Newport, Mannix led with four goals, Collingwood had two and Goldstein and Crowder each had one. Newport was also awarded a penalty one.

The Memorial is held in honor of Memorial Day, (originally known as Decoration Day), a Federal holiday on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.

In last year's The Memorial season finale, Newport (Tucu Paz, 2, Sugar Erskine, 6, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Jason Crowder, 5) won for its fourth consecutive title. SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Grant Ganzi, 3, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) finished second and Aspen Valley (Santos Bollini, 2, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Nic Roldan, 8, Juan Bollini 3) was third in the two-day round robin tournament.

This year Newport and Sebilion have each won two tournaments. Newport won back-to-back tournaments, the Casablanca Spring Challenge and Sun Cup. In the Casablanca Spring Challenge, Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Martin Jauregui, 6, Tommy Collingwood, 5) led from start-to-finish to defeat Aspen Valley (Meredith Lovegrove/Haley Schaufeld, 0, Tomacho Pieres, 6, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Nic Roldan, 7), 10-8. Crowder was MVP.

Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Matias Gonzalez, 4, Fred Mannix, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5) rallied in the sixth chukker to defeat previously unbeaten SebiLion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Jason Crowder, 5) in an overtime thriller, 15-14 for the Sun Cup. Mannix was MVP.

Sebilion also has two tournament wins. In last weekend's Eastern Challenge, Sebilion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Fred Mannix, 7) took the lead early in the fifth chukker and never relinguished it for a 10-8 victory over Newport (Gene Goldstein, 0, Jason Crowder, 5, Santi Toccalino, 7, Tommy Collingwood, 5).

In the spring opener, Sebilion won the Grand Champions Cup win. Sebilion (Sebastian Mandelbaum, 0, Leo Mandelbaum, 2, Alejandro Novillo Astrada, 7, Fred Mannix, 7) defeated Kaia Polo (Larry Austin, 0, Mariano Gracida, 4, Santi Toccalino, 7, Juan Bollini, 3), 10-8, to capture the Grand Champions Cup. Sebastian Mandelbaum was MVP.

During the major polo season in winter, Grand Champions Polo Club, the nation's largest and most innovative USPA-sanctioned polo club nestled in the heart of the world's winter equestrian capital, hosts a wide range of tournaments: 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 26-goal leagues, The Polo School Women's Polo League, WCT Finals, PTF youth tournaments, World Polo League, World Polo League Pride Music Fest and Sunset Chukkers & Cocktails at both Grand Champions and Santa Rita.

Grand Champions and Santa Rita Polo Farm is the largest and most unique private 102-acre polo facility in Wellington with 212 stalls in nine self-contained barns, two tracks, five climate-controlled tack rooms, vet room, staff quarters, guest house and four polo fields with state-of-the-art underground irrigation and short work arena. The club has 10 well-manicured world-class fields at GCPC and Santa Rita.

The Polo School, now located at the former Pony Express facility, operates in Wellington January through May and September through November. The stand-alone USPA-sanctioned polo club is dedicated to teaching polo to all ages, particularly grass roots youth. Its mission is to provide individuals opportunities in polo at every economic and ability level. The Polo School has nurtured several junior, men and women polo players now playing in the pro and amateur ranks since its inception.

For more information on leagues or Polo School contact Polo School Director of Operations Juan Bollini at  561-346-1099 or Polo Manager Cale Newman at 561-876-2930.