Palermo Kicks Off the Week with 12-Race Card Featuring Stakes Doubleheader

On an otherwise low-key program, the Handicap Your Majesty and Handicap Platería take center stage, with Amiguita Gina and El Patio standing out as prominent names on the Palermo dirt

Amiguita Gina will carry just 52 kilos—lighter than what her past performances might suggest she deserves / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

For the third time in the last four days, racing returns to Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo this Monday with a 12-race program that lacks overall quality but is lifted by a pair of featured events: the Handicap Your Majesty (1600 meters, dirt) and the Handicap Platería (1400 meters, dirt). The former is open to horses four years old and up, while the latter is restricted to mares five years old and older, both for winners.

Twelve months ago, Safety Honour (Safety Check, 61) finished fifth in the Your Majesty, and he returns this year looking to turn the tables after a respectable showing in the G1 Gran Premio de las Américas - OSAF, where he checked in seventh, beaten seven lengths by El Exito (Il Campione).

Just ahead of him that day—by three-quarters of a length—was Easy Way Out (Il Campione, 62), who reappears here in pursuit of a repeat effort, once again crossing paths with the Stud Tradición runner.

Though both will shoulder high imposts, the true topweight is El Patio (Il Campione, 63), who returned from a break with a near-miss in the Handicap Simonside over this same 1400-meter trip. A Group winner with solid credentials, the veteran’s biggest question mark remains his soundness.

Mallow (Suggestive Boy, 55.5) is in peak form and steps up with credentials to contend, a scenario echoed by Super Blessed (Super Saver). Meanwhile, the highly regarded Royal Rimout (Remote, 58) came back from a lengthy layoff to win smartly and now aims to build on that momentum with his natural class on display.

In the Handicap Platería, the formbook leaves little room for debate: Amiguita Gina (Todo Un Amiguito) towers over her rivals on paper. To make matters worse for the competition, the handicapper assigned her just 62 kilos—when the figure arguably should have been a couple more. Regardless of how the race unfolds, the past performances are clear, and leniency here amounts to an injustice for the rest.

Should the favorite falter, the likes of Elina Regia (Il Campione, 55), Che Mamita (Safety Check, 57.5), Aiyanna(Santillano, 60.5), Noche Plateada (In the Dark, 58.5), and Viva Al Sur (South Kissing, 58.5) all figure as capable contenders within the division.