La Guernica stands out as the leading contender in the Clásico Tía Gallarda

The Il Campione filly comes off back-to-back graded placings and now heads to La Plata in search of the biggest victory of her career

Lautaro Balmaceda will ride La Guernica in the stakes event / HLP

LA PLATA—As the track gears up for another edition of the Gran Premio Dardo Rocha (G1), racing returns this Thursday with a 13-race program highlighted by the Clásico Tía Gallarda, a 1700-meter event for fillies and mares 4 and up under weight-for-age conditions.

Only six runners have been confirmed, and the race presents a compelling opportunity for La Guernica (Il Campione) to continue her upward trajectory. Now trained by Luis H. Domínguez, she previously campaigned from the Palermo barn of Juan Saldivia, under whose care she delivered two strong graded placings: second to Martana (Fortify) in the Clásico Chile (G3), and Runner-up to Illa Alegre (Sabat Husson) in the Clásico Hipódromo Independencia de Rosario (G3).

That level of competition gives her a clear edge over Nipotina (Treasure Beach), who, after two consecutive conditional wins, ran a terrific race in the Clásico Mad Corsaria, missing by only a neck to the graded Soy La Líder (Manipulator), with the aforementioned Illa Alegre finishing fourth.

Paxing (Señor Candy) arrives off an excellent turf performance at San Isidro and now switches both surface and venue in search of further improvement—though she won’t find an easy task here.

Niebla Peligrosa (Daddy Long Legs), third just four days ago in the Handicap Dr. Ignacio Pavlovsky, remains a question mark regarding participation. Rounding out the field, Belle Chanson (In the Dark) and Señorita Maestra (Señor Candy) step up from the conditioned ranks hoping to make an impact at a higher level.

With form, class, and recent graded experience on her side, La Guernica appears poised to take full advantage of this spot.