The Cané and Campos, Stripped of Their Former Gravitas on the Road to the Pollas at Palermo

Traditional stepping stones to the start of the Triple Crown, they have lately contributed few winners to Buenos Aires' major mile events

Moon Frank Won Both the Campos and the Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas in 2025 / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

This Saturday at Hipódromo Palermo, the Clásico Miguel Cané (G2) and the Clásico General Luis María Campos (G2) will be run as the final preps leading into the start of the Triple Crown next month, when the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G1) and the Gran Premio Polla de Potrancas (G1) take center stage.

Contrary to historical expectations, over the last 10 years these stepping-stone events have produced only a handful of runners who subsequently went on to triumph in the traditional mile classics that kick off racing's most prestigious series.

Among the colts, the record books reveal only the name of Irwin (Seek Again) successfully completing the Cané-Polla double. That was in 2021, when the dark bay—then trained by Roberto Pellegatta before changing hands on multiple occasions—pulled off the feat. He first defeated the then-maiden Storefront (Fortify), only to return a few weeks later and assert his dominance with a remarkable performance, scoring by 2 lengths over the very same rival.

As for the fillies, 2 runners managed to capture both the Campos and the Polla in the same season. Amy B Key (Key Deputy) was the first to achieve it in 2015, while Moon Frank (Gidu) repeated the feat last season.

Both beat runners who went on to make significant noise. Amy B Key bested Madame Stripes (Equal Stripes) in both events—a filly who would later go on to become a graded stakes winner in the United States.

Moon Frank, meanwhile, topped Queen Elinor (Señor Candy) in the Campos before defeating the eventual three-time champion Charm (Strategos) when the Polla arrived.

Clearly, both the Cané and the Campos have lost leverage in terms of producing Polla winners, a shift that can likely be attributed to the multiple scheduling options and pathways now available throughout the juvenile select process.

Expanding the scope to the preceding decade, the double was accomplished much more frequently among the males: Urquell (Lode), Gold for Sale (Not for Sale), Dancing for Me (Not for Sale), and Ilusor (Parade Marshal) all achieved it consecutively in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, before Es Corino (Espaciado) joined the club in 2010. On the fillies' side, two unforgettable champions achieved the double: Balada Sale (Not for Sale) and Kalithea (Exchange Rate) in 2011 and 2014, respectively.

New renewals of the Clásico Miguel Cané and the Clásico General Luis María Campos will take place this Saturday, and it remains to be seen whether the current trend holds or if these traditional preps regain their defining influence heading into the Pollas.