Carreras de las Estrellas Celebrate 35th Anniversary with Record Edition

On June 28 at Palermo, over 466 million pesos in prizes will be awarded; the day will feature 9 stakes races, 6 of them Grade 1, in a top-level card; Need You Tonight and El Exito are expected to pay the supplemental fees to run in the Classic (G1) and the Mile (G1), respectively

By Diego H. Mitagstein

The Carreras de las Estrellas 2025 are well underway, and gradually the buzz is building around the spectacular series set for June 28 — the 35th edition since its inception — always organized by the Fundación Equina Argentina.

The event will return to the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo after a couple of years at San Isidro, featuring a program with 9 stakes races, 6 of them Grade 1.

This year’s total prize money will reach 466,400,000 pesos, with 424,000,000 allocated to participants and another 42,400,000 for breeders — representing roughly a 40 percent increase over last year’s edition. Sources say the figure could rise even further as some of the best current horses, not yet entered, might pay supplements to participate.

For example, the team around Need You Tonight (Hat Ninja), hero of the Gran Premio República Argentina (G1), have already decided to pay the fee to run in the Gran Premio Estrellas Classic (G1-2000 m, dirt). Meanwhile, El Exito (Il Campione), the top miler currently and fresh winner of the Gran Premio de las Américas - OSAF (G1), is expected to take part again in the Gran Premio Estrellas Mile (G1-1600 m, dirt), just like last year.

As always, the Classic will carry the largest purse in the Carreras de las Estrellas. For all horses three years old and up, there will be 80,000,000 pesos at stake, with 50,000,000 going to the winner (15,000,000, 8,000,000, 4,000,000, and 3,000,000 pesos awarded to the next places).

The major Estrellas Distaff (G1-2000 m, dirt), Juvenile (G1-1600 m, dirt), and Juvenile Fillies (G1-1600 m, dirt) races will have identical purses. The total purse for each will be 64,000,000 pesos, distributed as follows: 40,000,000 to the winner, 12,000,000 to second, 6,400,000 to third, 3,200,000 to fourth, and 2,400,000 to fifth.

The Distaff is open to fillies and mares three years and older; the Juvenile for two-year-old colts; and the Juvenile Fillies for two-year-old fillies.

The remaining races in the series offer the following purses:

• Gran Premio Estrellas Mile (G1-1600 m, dirt), for horses three years and older: 48,000,000 pesos total — 30,000,000 to the winner, 9,000,000 to second, 4,800,000 to third, 2,400,000 to fourth, and 1,800,000 to fifth.

• Gran Premio Estrellas Sprint (G1-1000 m, dirt), for horses three years and older: 40,000,000 pesos total — 25,000,000 to first, 7,500,000 to second, 4,000,000 to third, 2,000,000 to fourth, and 1,500,000 to fifth.

• Clásico Estrellas Sprint Junior (G3-1000 m, dirt), for two-year-olds: 32,000,000 pesos total — 20,000,000 to the winner, 6,000,000 to second, 3,200,000 to third, 1,600,000 to fourth, and 1,200,000 to fifth.

• Clásico Estrellas Dirt (1300 m, dirt), for fillies and mares three years and older, and Clásico Estrellas Dirt Junior (1300 m, dirt), for two-year-olds: 16,000,000 pesos total — 10,000,000 to first, 3,000,000 to second, 1,600,000 to third, 800,000 to fourth, and 600,000 to fifth.

Entries for the Carreras de las Estrellas will open Monday, June 16, with confirmations accepted until Monday, June 23. The post position draw is expected that same day, though no official announcement has been made.

As the days pass, excitement will build around this outstanding series which, even as it celebrates its 35th edition, still strives to capture the hearts of the fans — who typically don’t attend in the numbers seen at races like the Nacional (G1), República Argentina (G1), or Pellegrini (G1). A challenge that remains to be addressed.