Blue Stripe Favored in Gran Premio Criadores

Haras Pozo De Luna's Blue Stripe looms as the heavy favorite against 14 fillies and mares in the May 1 Gran Premio Criadores (G1) run 1 1/4 miles over the dirt at Palermo Racecourse. The winner of the Gran Premio Criadores will receive the first automatic starting position into this year's $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) through the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge Series is an international series of 84 stakes races whose winners receive free berths and fees paid into a corresponding race for the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar.

Saturday's race is the second of four 2021 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races to be held in South America.

Blue Stripe, a 3-year-old filly trained by Nicolas Martin Ferro, is a half sister to 2019 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Blue Prize , and by the top sire Equal Stripes . Though lightly raced, she has won three of five starts, with all of her victories coming at Palermo, including two this year. Blue Stripe won the listed 1 1/4-mile Clasico Haras Argentinos Feb. 5 by three-quarters of a length, but was even more impressive in her next race. Stepping into group 2 company, Blue Stripe was sent off as the 8-5 favorite in the 1 1/4-mile Clasico Arturo R. and Arturo Bullrich Stakes March 6. Tracking Miss Eder most of the way, she overtook the pacesetter two furlongs from the wire and won by a widening eight lengths. Blue Stripe will be ridden by Edouardo Pavon Saturday.

La Layenda's 3-year-old Mahagonny, trained by Juan Saldivia and ridden by Juan Noriega, has been a consistent runner thus far with two wins, two seconds, and a third-place finish. A bay daughter of Embrujado, Mahagonny returns to the dirt surface after two solid performances on the turf. In her most recent effort, Gilberto Lerena - Copa Rally de Los Haras (G1) April 3, she battled for the lead down the stretch with Dona Gota but was overtaken late by Fanciful, finishing third.

Another daughter of Equal Stripes, Santa Emiliana's 3-year-old filly Siempre En Mi Mente, won the one-mile Clasico Paseana (G2)  April 10 at San Isidro. Also owned by Haras Pozo De Luna, Siempre En Mi Mente has also run well in two group 1 races at Palermo for trainer Ferro. She finished second in the Polla de Pontrancas  Oct. 3 and followed up that performance with a third-place finish in the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Seleccion Copa Oct. 30. Gabriel Bonasola has the mount.

As a part of the benefits of the Challenge Series, the Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the winner of the Gran Premio Criadores to start in the Breeders' Cup Distaff. Breeders' Cup will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the pre-entry deadline of Oct. 25 to receive the rewards.

The international portion of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series began on Dec. 19 when the 3-year-old Cool Day captured the Gran Premio International Carlos Pellegrini (G1) at San Isidro to gain the first automatic starting berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T).