Rugiente and Guadilu stand out as top contenders in Monday's handicaps

The colt (photo) will contest the Handicap Asociación Personal Hipódromos del Agencia República Argentina(APHARA), locking horns with Despacito and Lyon; meanwhile, the mare steps into the Handicap Star and Stripescarrying a featherweight assignment on the scales

Weight assignments will have plenty to say this Monday on the main dirt track at Hipódromo de Palermo. Highlights on the 14-race program include the Handicap Asociación Personal Hipódromos del Agencia República Argentina(APHARA) (1,200 m, dirt) and the Handicap Star and Stripes (1,400 m, dirt), featuring a showdown between battle-tested veterans in the former and an ideal opportunity for Guadilu to return to winning ways in the latter.

Scheduled as the tenth race, the APHARA will be decided over 1,200 meters for 4-year-olds and up. There is experience in abundance among the field, with Rugiente (Il Campione) and Despacito (Sabayón) bringing a recent, high-value form line: their finishes behind El Mejor Recuerdo (Il Campione) in the Clásico Pablo Gustavo Faleroover this same track and distance.

On that occasion, Rugiente finished second, a length behind the winner and a neck ahead of Despacito, a tight margin that points to another close finish. The son of Il Campione will carry 60 1/2 kilos, half a kilo more than the Sabayónveteran, adding extra intrigue to the rematch.

Rugiente’s steady consistency remains a well-known threat. Despacito retains the form that established him as one of the most respected names in the turn-sprinting division. Their last clash left them virtually inseparable and promises a hard-fought rematch.

The top weight of 61 kilos was assigned to Lyon, whose presence introduces a different variable: he returns to 1,200 meters after an extended campaign dedicated to straight-course sprints. He has not competed around a turn since April 2025, making his adaptation to the distance change a focal point of his performance.

The son of Lenovo possesses the credentials to command respect. He finished second in the Clásico Irlanda (G3), third in the Clásico Estados Unidos de América (G3), and runner-up in the Handicap Diamond Jubilee, though he enters off a sixth-place effort in the Clásico Cyllene (G2) at San Isidro. He will need to carry his raw speed around the turn while conceding weight to all opponents as top weight.

Directly following is the Handicap Star and Stripes, run over 1,400 meters for fillies and mares 5 years old and up. There, Guadilu finds a setup tailor-made for her, even with her 57 kilos representing the highest impost in the field.

The daughter of Señor Candy is coming off third-place finishes in the Clásico Otelo A. Orlandi (L) and Clásico Manuel F. y Emilio Gnecco (G3), both at La Plata, maintaining a high level of performance that holds special weight here. A winner of the Handicap Wally, Handicap Jerry Honor, and Especial Haras La Biznaga, her resume could easily have warranted a heavier assignment.

The top-weight tag should not deceive: relative to her form and the credentials of her rivals, Guadilu came out very well in the handicapper's distribution. If she repeats her recent efforts, she holds a strong chance to regain the winning path.

Among those posing a threat is Rumba Feroz (Hurricane Cat), who arrives on the heels of a victory while carrying just 52 kilos. The 5-kilo weight advantage over the favorite serves as a major factor for a mare that typically settles off the pace to save her best for a late stretch run. A hot early pace would work heavily in her favor.

Also deserving consideration are Endeia (Idolo Porteño, 53 1/2) and Foto Oscura (Bodemeister, 56), who finished second and third, respectively, behind Filipiada (Il Mercato) under identical conditions. Both bring that direct precedent over the distance and will look to capitalize on any opening left by the favorite. For Guadilu, the race offers an ideal setup; for her rivals, the handicap weights and race shape will be their main weapons to trigger an upset.