Colifato Novo, Drive Joy, and Earth God appear at the top of a list of 15 entries that promises to deliver another great race over the middle distance.

For several months now, the middle-distance division has been providing Argentine racing with great contests; competitive, often unpredictable, and featuring top-class contenders for every taste. Well, as we head toward a new edition of the Gran Premio Estrellas Mile (G1-1600m, turf), to be run on Saturday the 27th of this month at Hipódromo de San Isidro, everything indicates that the race will follow that exact same script.

With 15 entries, the event promises another unmissable spectacle in what shapes up to be a true clash of champions. Colifato Novo (Lenovo) and Drive Joy (Fortify), the country's last two Champion 2-Year-Olds, along with Earth God(Cosmic Trigger), the current titleholder in the division, set a very high bar in terms of quality.

They are joined by Bronx (Qué Vida Buena) and Folie Ninja (Hat Ninja), who dead-heated for first place in the Mile two years ago, also on the turf of the Jockey Club Argentino, shaping up a field that boasts five top-flight winners—the exact same number as the Gran Premio Estrellas Classic (G1).

But the high-caliber contenders do not end there, as Qué Tarde Gris (Il Campione) and Nevado Catedral (Gouverneur Morris) add further depth. The former captured the Clásico América (G2) before finishing third behind the aforementioned Drive Joy in the Gran Premio de las Américas - OSAF (G1), while the latter conquered the Clásico Benito Villanueva (G2) before surprisingly failing in the G1 on May 1st.

Another strong candidate is Kopke (Hi Happy), who went off the radar after a poor showing in the Gran Premio Joaquín S. de Anchorena (G1) and now makes his return with high expectations. Winner of the Clásico Ecuador (G2) and runner-up in the Gran Premio San Isidro (G1), he also finished fourth in the Gran Premio Palermo (G1).

Adorado Rim (Remote), Campo Verde (Strategos), Cosmic Stripes (Cosmic Trigger), Grand Canyon (Long Island Sound), Majority Wins (Master of Hounds), Río New (Hurricane Cat), and Vampiro Zen (Zensational)—who must pay the supplementary entry fee—round out the field.

The Gran Premio Estrellas Mile will offer a total purse of 56,000,000 pesos, distributed as follows: $35,000,000 to the winner; $10,500,000 to second; $5,600,000 to third; $2,800,000 to fourth; and $2,100,000 to the fifth-place finisher.

Article by Turf Diari

Photo: Juan I. Bozzello