Juan Saldivia unstoppable: Bella Marieta shines at La Plata

The Stud El Olimpo runner earned her first stakes victory in the Manuel F. y Emilio Gnecco (G3), making it clear she still has plenty more to offer

Bella Marieta surged past It’s My Look in the final furlong / HLP

LA PLATA.- Juan Saldivia’s hot streak shows no sign of cooling. With his barn overflowing with talent, the trainer continues to reel off stakes victories as if it were routine. The latest evidence came Saturday at La Plata, where his filly Bella Marietamade a perfect debut over the eucalyptus-ringed oval, capturing the Clásico Manuel F. y Emilio Gnecco (G3, 1600m, dirt), one of the most important local fixtures of the season for fillies and mares.

Now teamed with jockey William Pereyra, the daughter of Cosmic Trigger showed grit and determination to wear down the valiant It’s My Look (Equal Stripes) by one length. The irony wasn’t lost on observers: It’s My Look was ridden by Jorge Peralta, the other rider most trusted by Saldivia. What the trainer gives, he can also take away.

Though short on numbers, the field offered a stern test, with the top four finishers covered by just 1 1/2 lengths. Poliziana(Fortify) carved out a soft lead until mid-turn, when It’s My Look swept past. Once in the stretch, the Stud Los Betosfilly dug in along the rail, but Bella Marieta’s outside run proved relentless, her surge carrying her past in the final furlong. Guiltless (Full Mast) closed late for third, a half-head back, with only a neck separating her from Illa Alegre(Sabat Husson). Final time: 1:38.96.

Carrying the colors of Stud El Olimpo and bred by Haras Juan Antonio, Bella Marieta was coming off a strong sixth in the G1 Estrellas Distaff, beaten less than five lengths by Coni Fizz (Marconi) in her graded debut.

A granddaughter of G1 winner Chloris (Ibero), from the same family as top-level scorers Huapango Torero (Suggestive Boy) and Afrodite (Ocean Falls), Bella Marieta only just turned four and has made just five career starts. With maturity, seasoning, and the likelihood of handling more ground, she appears poised for a bright future.