Full Keynote and a huge surprise in the first G1 of 2026

Gran Muñeca's colt repeated the feat of Full Keid, his own brother, and won the Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz, at $ 71.20, in San Isidro

Brian Enrique unleashes his celebration on Full Keynote / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

The first G1 of the season in Argentina arrived with a shockwave, as 3 of the 4 horses with the highest odds in the field ended up forming the trifecta—totally unexpected for the Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz (G1-2000 m, normal turf). This, in part, reflects the baffling moment the local stayer division is experiencing, which had already received a massive blow in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini (G1) with the Brazilian 1-3 finish led by Obataye(Courtier).

The outsider Full Keynote ran like he never had before to achieve a brave victory, repeating the feat that Full Keid, his full brother, had accomplished in this same race three seasons ago; both are sons of Full Mast and Keila (Pollard's Vision).

As it happened then, the Gran Muñeca team celebrated in a big way—a striking presence among breeders and stables—with trainer Diego Peña and jockey Brian Enrique as the direct links to the wire.

How can a horse’s victory at 71.20 pesos in a G1 be explained? It’s not easy, that’s clear. Firstly, the fragility of the reference names is evident, offering no guarantees. The Gladiator's Hat (Hat Ninja), the favorite, who had demolished in the Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (G1) and finished second in the Pellegrini, was insignificant, drifting inward too much for Eduardo Ortega Pavón to steer him firmly, having to settle for fourth place.

Acento Final (Treasure Beach), a triple G1 winner, was eighth, underperforming just like on the day of the grand final; and El Encinal (Il Campione) went totally unnoticed, leaving the feeling that reclaiming the form that led him to win the 2023 Pellegrini will be a massive struggle, if that moment ever comes.

Thus, Full Keynote appeared to finally live up to the high regard his connections always had for him, reminiscent of his beginnings when he remained undefeated in his first two outings, winning the Clásico Antártida Argentina (L).

The race flow showed Hit Colchonero (Hit It a Bomb) setting the pace, followed by Thor Medina (Mootasadir) and Full Keynote, with whom Enrique didn't waste an inch along the rails. In the straight, both attacked the leader and overtook him by the 300-meter mark, battling for a stretch until the winner pulled away in the final 80 meters to establish a 3/4-length advantage. A length and a half back, Chelato (Cosmic Trigger) was third, ahead of The Gladiator's Hat and Pecado Original (Global Hunter).

Full Keynote was coming off a third-place finish in a conditional race and, to be honest, hadn't been competitive for an eternity, with his fourth-place finish behind Ardiendo (Remote) in the Gran Premio Gran Criterium (G1) as his last positive showing. Hence, the great surprise.

Thor Medina's performance was also a revelation, with a short but effective campaign as a backdrop, now opening up a promising future if he continues on the path of growth.

The Martínez de Hoz was a reference for the Gran Premio Latinoamericano (G1) next April on the turf of Monterrico, and it feels like Full Keynote has high chances of representing the Jockey Club Argentino.

The bay surprised, showed grit, and brought joy to his entire team, who had always expected such a celebration from him. Finally, it arrived.