Beatles steps up to stakes company on the road to the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo

The son of champion Sixties Song is a contender for the Clásico Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo (L), to be run over turf

Kennedy Back was the best in Mendoza before reaching the highest level / JOSÉ MALUF

This week, a date swap will shake things up at the country’s top racetracks, as the Lollapalooza Festival takes center stage in San Isidro. As a result, on this rather unusual Tuesday, the racing spotlight will shift to the Jockey Club Argentino, where a 12-race card will be offered, including 2 stakes events.

The sprinters will take center stage in the Eduardo Jara, and immediately after, the focus will shift dramatically as the distance horses dominate the marquee in the Clásico Regimiento de Granaderos a Caballo (L), a 2200-meter test on the turf course that forms part of the road to the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (G1).

For horses aged 3 and up, and contested under handicap conditions, the race will feature just 5 participants—assuming no last-minute withdrawals—and among them is the rising star Beatles, a son of champion Sixties Song, who is trained by Nicolás Martín Ferro for the Dream and Wish stable.

With 3 wins from his last 4 starts, including the last two consecutive victories, the chestnut will carry only 54.5 kilos, after defeating another promising horse, Iraqi (Seek Again), in a conditional race over the same distance he’ll face in this stakes event.

Mister Coquette (Mastercraftsman, 53 kg) scored a dominant victory by 9 lengths over G2 winner Jungle Jack (Hi Happy) in another 2200-meter race, and now steps up to face tougher competition in a race that could have presented more challenges.

Kennedy Back (John F Kennedy, 57 kg) brings the most experience, having recently impressed in Mendoza. A winner in a conditional race in Buenos Aires, he has finished second in the Vicente Dupuy (G3) at La Punta and third in the Gran Premio Copa de Oro (G1), experience he will look to capitalize on here.

The other 3-year-old in the field is Southern Secret (Southern Cat, 50.5 kg), who will race unencumbered and with professionals riding a hot streak. Meanwhile, Gadzooks (Galán de Cine, 53 kg) will be looking to rebound after finishing last in the Clásico Calidoscopio (L).