With the Correas Leading the Way, a Friday to Fully Enjoy at Palermo

The afternoon will feature a prominent stakes tripleheader, spearheaded by the route feature and well supported by the Diamond Jubilee (L) and the Guillermo Paats (L)

Martana Stands Out as One of the Defining Names on the Road to the Correas / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo is configuring an outstanding Friday program packed with high-profile racing. Featuring a prominent stakes tripleheader, the card kicks off a highly attractive week at the metropolitan headquarters.

The iconic Clásico Ignacio, Ignacio F. e Ignacio Correas (G2), contested over a demanding 2,500-meter dirt trip for fillies and mares 4-year-olds and upward, serves as the anchor of the afternoon. It will be brilliantly supported by the Clásico Diamond Jubilee (L) and the Clásico Guillermo Paats (L), both scheduled over the explosive 1,000-meter dirt straightaway, creating a high-quality betting and sporting menu that is further enhanced by several competitive allowance fields.

The marathon feature boasts an elite lineup, spearheaded by top-tier Group 1 winners Martana (Fortify) and Cannolina (South Kissing), alongside the equally formidable Portal Maya (Portal del Alto). All three mares were central figures in the prestigious Campeonato Palermo de Oro distaff division earlier this season and look poised to renew their rivalry.

The preliminary list of rivals tracking toward the starting gate includes: Angelic Champ (Cima de Triomphe), Che Samaritana (Vástago Salvaje), Doña Lucila (Equal Talent), Foggy of Song (Sixties Song), Master Jane (Mastercraftsman), Niebla Peligrosa (Daddy Long Legs), Olimpia de Epiro (Southern Cat), and Remoulina (Remote).

Sprinting action will also take center stage in the Diamond Jubilee, where dual Grade 1-winning star El Epecuén (Il Campione) looms as the undisputed heavy favorite. The talented colt has not been seen in public since his spectacular victory on May 1 in the Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires (G1).

The imposing speedster is expected to face a large contingent, with entries featuring: A La Vista (Angiolo), Aires de Gloria (Angiolo), Antiguo Secreto (Angiolo), Claro Bombón (Claro Oscuro), En Un Rincón (Manipulator), Es Por Amor (Strategos), Filoso Class (Filoso Emperor), La Combatiente (Le Blues), La Farce (Emmanuel), Lyon (Lenovo), Opreso (Endorsement), Peso Argentino (Le Blues), and Santo Federal (Santillano).

Meanwhile, the Clásico Guillermo Paats, specifically tailored for the incoming generation of 3-year-olds, attracted a more exclusive but highly select group of five initial nominees: Aspiring Artist (Angiolo), Nissos (Il Campione), Telegram (Sovereign), Thomas Shelby (Uncle Chuck), and Water Waster (Made You Look).

The Palermo management will keep the momentum going into the following week with another card scheduled for Monday, July 13. The main event on that afternoon will be the Handicap Pensilvania, a 1,600-meter turf route for winning mares 4-year-olds and upward. Among the 16 potential runners, the racing secretary assigned the high weight of 61 kilograms to Adi Shakti (Lucullan), just slightly ahead of the 60 kilograms handed out to the classy Blessed Shine (Honour Devil).