Palermo: Cannolina Upsets Martana to Take the Clásico Ramón Biaus

The filly dug in gamely from the 300-meter pole to the wire, nailing the heavy favorite right on the line, and by only a nose

Cannolina (left) got up on the wire to deny Martana / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

There was a major upset saturday at Palermo, where Cannolina delivered the best performance of her career to deny the odds-on Martana (Fortify) in a thrilling stretch duel and stamp herself as a rising force among the country’s long-distance fillies and mares.

The daughter of South Kissing made full use of the significant weight-for-age advantage 3-year-olds enjoy at this time of year over their elders, and benefited from a perfectly judged ride by Gonzalo Borda to bring the colors of the Di Sanzo brothers back to graded glory. The owners—who famously lifted the G1 Polla de Potrancas with Vanguarda(Sekari) years ago—bred Cannolina themselves and never lost the passion nor the belief.

Cannolina had finished fourth in the first leg of the Triple Crown and repeated that placing in the G1 Gran Premio Selección. While not a major factor in either event, she had hinted that more was to come.

With spotless past performances, Martana lined up for the Biaus full of confidence. After Pasaron Cosas (Treasure Beach) set the early tempo, the favorite took over midway down the backstretch as expected.

The pace was moderate, and while Martana controlled proceedings, Cannolina seemed uncomfortable—boxed in and requiring Borda’s urging simply to hold position and avoid getting shuffled back at a critical stage.

Once they straightened for home, Martín Valle asked Martana to quicken, but the response was not the explosive one her supporters might have hoped for. At the same time, Cannolina began to emerge in the clear, building momentum and inching into contention by the 400-meter mark.

With more than a length still to find, the filly relentlessly chipped away at the deficit, drawing alongside in the final strides and nailing the favorite right on the wire—a nose the official margin—thanks to Borda’s precision and perfectly timed finish.

A distant 11 lengths behind, Pasaron Cosas held a valuable third, with Mar de Amor (Seahenge) another half-length back in fourth after weakening in the final furlong. Fractions were :26.12, :50.14, 1:14.57, 1:39.35, and 2:04.16, with a final time of 2:16.86 for the 2200 meters.

Though modest in size—she weighed in at 435 kilos—Cannolina showed ample stamina and a strong dose of courage. She is conditioned by Alberto M. López.

The Biaus heroine is the eighth foal out of Cannoletta (Missoni), who had already produced four other winners for the Di Sanzo family—all by South Kissing—before the stallion’s passing earlier this year. Her maternal family is rich with modern black-type, descending from the line of brilliant sprinter Forty Miau (Roar) and responsible for names such as champion Joy Canela (Fortify); G3 winners Milanés Joy (Fortify), Yukon Jack (Remote) and Joy Mirenla (Fortify); and the stakes-winning Gatita Rye (Catcher In the Rye).

Now a winner of 2 of 8, Cannolina climbs several rungs within the staying division, and connections may now look toward the G1 Copa de Plata at San Isidro—the same turf course where she broke her maiden.

For Martana, the defeat left a bitter aftertaste. Her connections had been eyeing the G1 Ciudad de Montevideo at Maroñas; whether that plan remains intact now will be the question moving forward.