A mere 10 races are scheduled, with Mannarino as the solid choice in the Alejandro Korn

The son of Manipulator stands out in the stakes; in the Especial Sipan Dagh, Che Vivi is the top choice against a field of demanding rivals

Mannarino returns to action and is the horse to beat in the stakes / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Once again, there will be only 10 races to be decided at the racetrack of this city, a far cry from those times when there was an abundance of horses. National racing is in crisis, yet the leaders seem not to see it, nor do they have intentions of correcting the course. As long as purses do not see a considerable increase, the downward slope will only become steeper.

Two of the events will be above the common level. On one hand, the Clásico Alejandro Korn (2000m, dirt) will be held, and on the other, the Especial Sipan Dagh. The former is for all horses 3 years old and up under weight-for-age conditions, while the latter is for horses 5 years old and up with three or more wins. Rain is in the forecast, so it remains to be seen if it ultimately materializes and how it might influence the track.

In the Alejandro Korn, part of the long road toward the Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (G1), there are only six participants, among which appear one maiden and two winners of a single race. Given this panorama, the candidacy of Mannarino (Manipulator) stands out as he returns to action after 118 days and following a failure, precisely, in the strongest race of the La Plata calendar.

A winner of the Martínez (G3) at Palermo as a two-year-old, prior to the Rocha, he had fallen by just a half-length to Don Champagne (Long Island Sound) in the Clásico OSAF (G3). Facing him are Contursi (Full Mast), who comes off a loss to Ruso Real (In the Dark) in a conditional, and Emblematicu (Lucullan), who recently finished a distant second to the notable Butterfing (Angiolo) in a common race in Buenos Aires.

The Especial, for its part, is highly attractive, featuring several participants with solid credentials. Such is the case for Che Vivi (Manipulator, 58), who will carry the top weight and returns to a track that suits her perfectly after a pair of seconds in Palermo handicaps.

Boosted by a great campaign in Azul, close attention must be paid to Mister Coquette (Bodemeister, 54), who will receive a significant weight advantage to capitalize upon. Additionally, Don Galeón (Il Campione, 56), second to Touch the Stars (Fortify) at San Isidro, could provide a surprise.