Martana seeks her second G1 victory as she targets the Copa de Plata in the Gran Premio Criadores

The daughter of Fortify will once again face Cannolina—winner of the Gilberto Lerena (G1)—and the ever-consistent Portal Maya

Martana after shining in Maroñas / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

No edition of the Gran Premio Criadores (G1-2000 m, dirt) fails to generate high expectations. A traditional meeting for the best staying mares at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo, it returns this Friday with the added prestige of being a qualifier for the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1), which will be held this year in late October at Keeneland, the beautiful track in the unmissable Lexington.

Part of the Challenge Series - Win and You’re In program developed globally by the Breeders' Cup, the race arrives with several rematches on the table and the painful absence of Charm (Strategos), the Champion 2 and 3-Year-Old Filly and Mare of the Year in 2025, who was unfairly overlooked for Horse of the Year honors.

The Triple Alliance chestnut will not be present, but Martana (Fortify), Portal Maya (Portal del Alto), and Cannolina(South Kissing) will be, serving as the modern benchmarks of the division.

In the Bullrich (G2), where Charm prevailed, Martana finished second, Portal Maya third, and Cannolina fourth. However, on the afternoon of the Gilberto Lerena (G1) on the turf, it was the latter who secured a very easy victory over Portal Maya, with Martana absent.

Now, the Stud-Haras Santa Inés defender returns to the fray on the distance and surface that suit her best—having won, for example, the Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (G1) on January 6 at Maroñas, Uruguay—and challenges her two rivals. Cannolina impressed greatly in the Lerena, kicking early to become unreachable. She already knows how to beat Martana, having done so in the 2025 Biaus (G2), and aims to repeat that performance to solidify her standing. Portal Maya, for her part, is the heroine of this year's Apertura (G2), and her evident consistency makes her a perpetual candidate.

A step behind, Class Life (Fortify) arrives in an ascending stage of her campaign and is expected to put up a fight. Meanwhile, following a 294-day layoff, Angelic Champ (Cima de Triomphe) faces a grueling return, with her last effort being a second-place finish, 1 1/2 lengths behind Ceniza Pampa (Hat Ninja) in the Correas (G2).