Epityrum Will Go for the Clásico Antonio Cané, on the Shortest Racing Card in a Long Time

Only eight races will be decided this afternoon at the Hipódromo de La Plata, where the Especial Independencia will also take center stage

LA PLATA.– There is no memory of a racing program as brief as the one to be contested this Tuesday at the city's racetrack—at least under normal operating conditions. In a debacle that seems to have no end, management decided to eliminate horses instead of splitting fields, and even left a couple of events with 20 runners over 1200 and 1300 meters, respectively—sheer madness when it comes to safety, though, unfortunately, a repeated practice.

On the stakes level, the card will feature a double header. On one hand, the road toward the Gran Premio Dardo Rocha(G1) will take another step with the Clásico Antonio Cané (G3-2100m, dirt); on the other, juvenile fillies making their track debuts will square off in the traditional Especial Independencia (1500m, dirt).

In the first of those events, experience looks to dictate terms in the wagering courtesy of G1 winner Epityrum, who ships in from San Isidro's Training Center Area 2 looking to bounce back after a lackluster comeback performance in the Gran Premio 25 de Mayo (G1), where he finished eleventh, 21 lengths behind the unbeaten Magnum Fifth (Daniel Boone).

At 5 years old and with 28 career starts under his belt, it will mark the debut for the son of Portal del Alto on the southern track. There, he will clash with another heavily seasoned runner in El Darwin (Il Campione), who returns to action after a multi-month layoff backed by a couple of interesting runner-up finishes.

The mare Abrazo Al Cielo (Treasure Beach) comes off a massive 18-length victory in the Clásico México and now targets a significantly more demanding objective against the males.

Lastly, Contursi (Full Mast) is another runner who has been showing an upward trajectory in his form and could easily be right in the thick of things at the wire.

As for the Especial Independencia, Rubio B. lands with every intention of sweeping the board with American Model(Gouverneur Morris), a half-sister to Mystery Train (Not for Sale), among others. Tenaz Soy (Equal Stripes) and Ama Gozúa (Le Blues) loom as her primary challengers.