El Epecuén returns to reclaim his crown in a high-powered Gran Premio Maipú

The defending champion returns after 127 days on the sidelines and will look to reaffirm his standing as the benchmark among dirt sprinters; Lissette Island, Bailarín de Venecia, and several heavy hitters promise to make his task difficult

Speed will take center stage in a spectacular clash this Saturday at Hipódromo Palermo, where the Gran Premio Maipú (G1-1,000m, dirt) serves as the final of three top-level contests scheduled on the marquee Nacional card. With 20 declared runners—reduced to 19 following the announced scratching of Naranccello (Le Blues)—the race brings together many of the nation's premier sprint specialists and promises fireworks from the break to the wire.

The headline attraction will be the return of El Epecuén (Il Campione), the defending champion and owner of a formidable record, who steps back onto the track after 127 days away. Trained by Miguel Cafere, he closed out his previous campaign on July 10 by capturing the Clásico Diamond Jubilee (L), having also landed the Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires (G1), and now aims to reaffirm his standing as the undisputed number-one dirt sprinter in the country.

During the week, Cafere noted on La Revista, the Global Media Turf broadcast, that his charge enters the race at roughly eighty percent fitness, though he remains confident that the horse’s sheer class will overcome both the layoff and those final two points needed to reach peak form. With Juan Cruz Villagra back in the irons, he stands as the horse to beat.

Still, the assignment will be far from straightforward. Lissette Island (Lizard Island) is in extraordinary form and has earned every right to challenge anyone in the division. The standout mare boasts 10 career victories—including seven graded stakes—and enters off back-to-back triumphs in the Clásico México (G3) and the Clásico Venezuela (G2). She seems to improve with every start, and her current sharpness suggests she is fully capable of delivering a major upset against the males.

Another formidable rival will be Bailarín de Venecia (Angiolo), who breaks from the outermost post. Racing for Stud El Perejil, he saw a four-race stakes winning streak snapped when finishing third in the Gran Premio Suipacha (G1),beaten a length and three-quarters by Es Por Amor (Strategos). Prior to that effort, his victories included the Clásico Cyllene (G2), the Clásico Santiago Lawrie (G3), the Clásico Prensa Hípica (L), and the Clásico Necochea (L). His consistency and class keep him squarely among the leading contenders.

Notably absent from the Maipú lineup are Es Por Amor, the recent Suipacha winner, and Le Cornette (Emmanuel),who is currently serving a provisional suspension following an adverse analytical finding in that race.

Yet the list of legitimate contenders extends well beyond the top trio. Vieja Amiga Mask (Mask) enters off a three-length runner-up finish behind Lissette Island in the Venezuela after stringing together three consecutive victories,while Jugador Top (Winning Prize) will look to showcase his considerable talent at the highest level after serving a suspension stemming from a positive test that cost him his second career victory in the stewards' room.

Special attention is also warranted for Aspiring Artist (Angiolo), a three-year-old colt who remains undefeated at Palermo, where he captured both the Clásico General Lavalle (G3) and the Clásico Guillermo Paats (L). Like El Epecuén, he has been away from the races for 127 days after overcoming a physical setback, and his return generates considerable anticipation.

Lyon (Lenovo) will seek to rediscover the form he displayed on his best afternoons following a string of below-par outings. El Luciano (Il Campione) arrives backed by a solid fourth-place effort in the Suipacha, while Esteño Pass(Distinctiv Passion) attempts to extend a two-race winning streak.

Nor can Ask for Wild (Angiolo) be overlooked, having just missed by a head to Cao Viejo (Strategos) in the Clásico Aristophanes, alongside Claro Bombón (Claro Oscuro), runner-up by just three-quarters of a length to Es Por Amorin the Suipacha and equipped with more than enough credentials to pursue his first Group 1 triumph.

With so many capable contenders, finding the cleanest path down the straightaway will prove decisive. El Epecuéngets his chance to prove he remains the king of dirt sprinting, though his rivals appear determined not to make life easy for him. An unmissable edition of the Maipú awaits—the kind of race where the smallest detail can ultimately decide the outcome.