Las Monjitas, three unforgettable Jockey Club victories and the dream of a fourth with Stay Tune
Marignac, Natan, and Happy Happy Day built an exceptional sequence starting in 2020; Tomás Fernández Llanosreflected on those triumphs as the operation prepares for another major opportunity
By Diego H. Mitagstein
Las Monjitas won its first Gran Premio Jockey Club (G1) without a soul in the grandstands. The second arrived following an agonizing wait in front of the stewards' board. And the third, just when victory appeared to be slipping away, was resolved with a tremendous display of courage. Marignac (Equal Stripes), Natan (Señor Candy), and Happy Happy Day (Hi Happy) transformed the second leg of the Triple Crown into a deeply special race for the stable, which this Saturday will seek its fourth trophy since 2020 with Stay Tune (Fortify), one of the main contenders.
Three victories across four editions between 2020 and 2023 illustrate the true magnitude of that haul. But behind the cold results remained scenes that statistics cannot capture. Tomás Fernández Llanos, racing manager for the stud, revisited those emotions on ¡Cómo Lo Grité!, a dedicated segment on "La Revista"—the weekly program broadcast on the Global Media Turf streaming channel that revisits great races through the eyes of their protagonists.
The initial memory points back to 2020, to face masks, strict restrictions, and a Hipódromo de San Isidro operating without its customary public crowd. That was where Marignac burst onto the scene, bringing just two career starts and an entire story left to write.
“Cheering through a face mask was tough,” recalled Fernández Llanos, manager for Camilo Bautista’s stable, with a smile. “We were locked inside a private box, which was the only place we were allowed to watch the races from, and that’s where our first one landed. It was truly incredible.”
The colt's lack of seasoning added further uncertainty to the challenge. He had debuted, broken his maiden in his next outing, and immediately took the leap into top-level company. It was also a maiden attempt for the silks in the historic event. “On top of that, it was the very first Jockey Club we had ever contested. It ended up being virtually the race of his life,” he summarized.
Two years later, Natan forced a vastly different kind of celebration. His 2022 victory was sealed inside the stewards' room following the disqualification of El Musical (Il Campione), making the tense post-race wait an inseparable part of the memory. There was no immediate outburst of joy at the wire; first came the uncertainty, the inquiry, and the official ruling.
“It was like cheering, swallowing it back, holding your breath, and then cheering all over again... but he truly deserved it; it was an incredible race. We had just come off a similar situation in the Polla de Potrillos (G1), so getting our revenge on home turf and celebrating was amazing,” Tomás recounted.
The unique nature of that outcome still stands out when he relives it: “You don't get to explode right at the wire because you didn't see him cross first, but afterward the joy was immense.” The second trophy was safely home, and just twelve months later, another would join it.
Happy Happy Day provided the 2023 chapter through a shrewd acquisition. Las Monjitas had purchased him roughly a month prior, following an eye-catching performance in the Gran Premio Dos Mil Guineas (G1). Heading into the Jockey Club, the stable also fielded Paso Nevado (Hi Happy), chosen by jockey Adrián Giannetti, while Brian Enrique, known as "El Picante," took the reins aboard the newly acquired colt.
What followed was a stretch battle to be cheered until losing one's voice. “He pulled an incredible finish out of nowhere, and we cheered so hard because it looked like he was beaten. They came to pass him, got ahead, and he fought back,” Fernández Llanos remembered. The tenacity of Happy Happy Day delivered the stable’s third crown and underscored how dramatically a race can change in its final strides.
This remarkable streak invites comparisons to former golden eras. Haras El Turf also compiled three memorable victories with Practicante (Pronto) in 1969, El Gran Capitán (Martinet) in 1974, and Farnesio (Good Manners) in 1977. Those are names of immense historical weight that put what Las Monjitas has accomplished into true perspective.
Now, Stay Tune renews the excitement. “Winning it once is extremely difficult, twice is even harder, and winning it three times is incredibly rare,” the manager reflected. “Everyone entered in the race dreams of the exact same outcome, but we’ve been blessed with great fortune three times. Now? We’re going for the fourth!” On Saturday, out on the turf, another opportunity to cheer will await.
