Hello Candy eyes another major victory against familiar foes

The daughter of Señor Candy will square off once again with Aiyanna and Fantastic Woman—rivals she has already conquered—in the Handicap Jardy

Hello Candy looks to continue her rise / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

The wheels of turf will turn again this Wednesday at Hipódromo de San Isidro, where a 12-race card of lower technical level awaits, with the highlight being the Handicap Jardy. Set over 1200 meters on the dirt track, this race features an interesting showdown between 5-year-old and older mares, with a modest prize of 4,100,000 pesos for the winner.

Expect a fierce contest from start to finish, with contenders like Hello Candy (Señor Candy, 57 1/2 kg), Aiyanna(Santillano, 57 kg), and Fantastic Woman (In the Dark, 56 kg), all in excellent form and very familiar with each other.

Just 33 days ago, they finished in this exact order in the Handicap Guatán, under the same conditions they will face now, separated by just a head and two lengths, though with different weight assignments.

In that race, Hello Candy was receiving weight from both Aiyanna and Fantastic Woman, a situation that will now be reversed, so it will be interesting to see if she can overcome this challenge given the parity between them at that time.

Of the three, only Aiyanna has raced since, finishing a valuable second, just a length behind the outstanding Candy and Giant (Giant's Pleasure) in the Handicap Jacinto Rafael Herrera at Palermo, coming home strongly at the end.

Earlier, Aiyanna had defeated Fantastic Woman by a half-length in the Handicap Ante Diem, another race that serves as a line for the Jardy.

A step behind the aforementioned trio is the American-bred Bajan Creole (Into Mischief, 53 kg), who has been steadily improving here. Owned by Stud-Haras La Nora, she recently defeated Candy Gloriosa (Señor Candy) in impressive fashion, setting a fast time for the class, with Candy Gloriosa later bouncing back and also lining up for this race.

Joy Antumalal (Il Campione, 54 kg) and Alta Key (Portal del Alto, 54 kg) come in off victories at the standard level and will try their luck at a higher class, while Alma Mía Spring (Greenspring, 52 kg) returns after a long absence and could make the most of her favorable weight to show a good performance.