From Nashville Luckie to Celestial Filly, 6 fillies have won the Congreve

Reviewing the first Stakes race for 2-year-olds since 1988, colts have maintained high effectiveness; Mayan Goddess seeks to join the list of female winners this afternoon

Celestial Filly, the last filly to defeat the colts in the Congreve / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

The Clásico Congreve (L), which held G3 status for many years, is the traditional kickoff of the selection process on the turf at San Isidro Racecourse for 2-year-olds. It generally represents the first stakes encounter for each crop.

The 2026 edition features a filly as the top contender: Mayan Goddess, part of the first crop by the stallion Made You Look (More Than Ready), who stands at Haras Gran Muñeca. She left an unbeatable impression when she won on her debut on the same track where she will compete this afternoon, just a few weeks ago.

In the long list of Congreve winners, several fillies have defeated the colts, and now the runner for Stud Pauli will seek to join that list. Looking back from 1988 to the present, 6 girls have managed to beat the boys in this traditional event at the northern track.

The first name to appear is the memorable Nashville Luckie (Lode), who, with Jorge Valdivieso in the irons, defeated Gently (Senor Pete) by 10 lengths in 1996. This was the start of a campaign that would later lead her to win the Gran Premio Saturnino J. Unzué (G1) and even become a benchmark for sprinting.

Several years passed until 2007, when Linda Roma (Romanov) scored for the fillies, beating Nortino (Slew Gin Fizz)by 5 lengths, wearing the Firmamento colors with Edwin Talaverano as the jockey.

In 2016, it was Curitiba Nistel (Van Nistelrooy) who led the field in the Congreve, defeating El Milagrito (Aspire) by 2 1/2 lengths. The following year, Sos Tan Sebi (Sebi Halo) added another point for the females, with her paternal brother Setkari as the runner-up.

The female winning streak extended into 2019, with Haras Don Florentino celebrating through Gran Enemiga (Qué Vida Buena), who was 2 lengths better than Inambú Key (Key Deputy) that summer afternoon.

Finally, the most recent victory for a filly in the Congreve occurred in 2023 with Celestial Filly (Lizard Island), the excellent chestnut from Tinta Roja who had a stellar season that year.

Will Mayan Goddess be able to join the list this afternoon at San Isidro? She seems to have plenty of ability, but only the finish line will tell the truth.