El Epecuen Faces Le Cornette; Ninguneando Stands as the One to Beat in the Expressive Halo

An impressive speed duel looms in the Jerry Honor; among the stayers, the son of Bodemeister is a solid candidate.

El Epecuen has shone brighter than ever since dropping back to the straight / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – A double feature of stakes action headlines this Saturday at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, though the lower-graded event proves to be far more enticing than its program companion.

On one hand, the stayers will meet in a somewhat modest renewal of the Expressive Halo (L-2,200m, turf). Meanwhile, several of the top sprinters currently in training will clash in an edition of the Jerry Honor (1,000m, dirt) that could be instrumental in the race eventually shedding its non-grade status.

A top-tier showdown is expected in the latter between Grade 1 winners Le Cornette (Emmanuel) and El Epecuen (Il Campione). The pair finished second and third, respectively, behind El Fortín (Il Campione) in December’s Gran Premio Félix de Alzaga Unzué (G1), crossing the wire separated by just a half-neck, with an identical margin back to the winner.

They share another key piece of form here from November’s Gran Premio Maipú (G1), the afternoon El Epecuen burst onto the sprinter scene by defeating Le Cornette by a length.

That day, the third-place spot on the board went to Bailarín de Venecia (Angiolo), who finished two lengths back. Trained by Wálter Suárez and María F. Alvarez, he is a winner of the Cyllene (G2) and Diamond Jubilee stakes and will look to bounce back from a disappointing 14th-place finish in the Unzué.

The highly-regarded 3-year-old Naranccello (Le Blues) and stakes winner Aires de Gloria (Angiolo) complete a short but high-quality field.

On the other hand, in the Expressive Halo, the time may have come for Ninguneando (Bodemeister) to secure his first black-type victory. Having knocked on the door with several placings in the category, he comes off an easy allowance win under the same conditions he faces now.

El Estanciero (Fire Slam), Don Cervantes (Treasure Beach), and Tambaqui (True Cause) are the names most likely to put him to the test. Olimia de Epiro (Southern Cat) completes the lot.