Good Manners and Río de la Plata: the best is yet to come in Palermo and San Isidro

A light week on the stakes front at the central racecourses: Palermo will host two dates while San Isidro organizes three

The G1 winner El Exito is one of the preentries for the Good Manners / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

A quiet week lies ahead for significant races in Argentina, as the spotlight turns toward February 15 and the Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz, the first Group 1 of the local season.

At Palermo, the highlight will be the Clásico Good Manners (1600m, dirt), scheduled for Saturday, February 8. Open to horses aged three and older under weight-for-age conditions, the race offers a winner’s purse of just 8,450,000 pesos.

The list of 14 likely contenders is quite promising, featuring G1 winner El Exito (Il Campione) alongside stakes performers Storm Sound (Hi Happy), My Stormy Dark (In the Dark), Preston Boss (Holy Boss), Fiolo Boss (Holy Boss), Monsieur Delon (Il Campione), Husson Chuck (Chuck Berry), and El Despertar (Il Campione).

Other potential entrants include Apolo Sky (Falling Sky), Black Stripes (Equal Stripes), Bomb Bouquet (Hit It a Bomb), Boyero Spring (Greenspring), Chelato (Cosmic Trigger), and the filly Star of the Beach (Treasure Beach).

On Monday, February 10, Palermo will host two handicaps: Tintilla (1000m, dirt) and Tatán (1800m, dirt), both for mares aged five and older. Top weights have been assigned to Una Causa (True Cause, 57) and Reina Casada (Long Island Sound, 57), respectively.

At San Isidro, the feature event will take place on Sunday, February 9, with the Clásico Río de la Plata (Listed) over 1200 meters on the turf diagonal. Open to horses aged three and older, weights will be assigned by handicap.

The eight likely runners are led by Rugiente (Il Campione), assigned the top weight of 59 kg. He could face Amigazo Mak (Maktub, 58), Ask for Wild (Angiolo, 53), Coni Fizz (Marconi, 52.5), Despacito (Sabayón, 58), Kalpalki (Fortify, 53), Pulmón de Acero (Daddy Long Legs, 53.5), and Suarium (Manipulator, 55.5).

San Isidro kicks off its week on Friday, February 7, with the Handicap Tiny (1200m, dirt) as the centerpiece and will wrap up on Wednesday, February 12, with the Guatán Handicap (1400m, dirt).