Chelato Takes Another Solid Step Forward in His Climb Up the Ranks

The chestnut took the Handicap Juan Esteban Bianchi and now turns his sights back toward future stakes targets

Chelato opened up early once they straightened for home/ JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Chelato was one of the standout performers on Sunday at San Isidro, posting a victory with real upward trajectory in the Handicap Juan Esteban Bianchi (2000m, turf). Strong, professional, and clearly benefitting from maturity, the Stud Don Valentino runner took another meaningful step forward—one that suggests his ceiling is still rising.

Coming off a third in the Clásico Irineo Leguisamo (L) and carrying a manageable 56 kilos against just three opponents, the son of Cosmic Trigger turned back a field with solid credentials to earn the fourth and best win of his career.

Under the newly formed and highly successful partnership of trainer Nicolás Martín Ferro and jockey Gustavo Calvente, Chelato tracked the pacesetter Dragonet (Treasure Beach, 52.5kg) from the start, collared him shortly after turning for home, and from there proved untouchable.

From the back came the Brazilian-bred Out of the Blue (Drosselmeyer, 59kg), the betting favorite making his seasonal debut, who closed strongly to finish second at 1 1/2 lengths, with Dragonet another 1 1/2 back in third. Trailing by a nose came Llegó Bien (Señor Candy, 57kg), who once again took a step backward. The final time was 2:02.74.

Having now cleared the bar of a meaningful handicap victory, Chelato has every right to look ahead toward stronger company. The improvement curve is real—and the next targets will surely be the stakes races.