La Plata’s Guineas Preps: Elenika to face five rivals, Winston draws nine foes

El Bosque is set to kick off its Triple Crown trail, with the fillies taking the stage on Tuesday, August 5, followed by the colts on Thursday, August 7

Winston, fresh off his victory in last week’s Clásico José Pedro Ramírez, looks to carry that momentum forward / HLP

LA PLATA.- The fields are set for a pivotal stretch at El Bosque, as the southern track prepares to launch its Triple Crown series with the Polla de Potrancas (G2, 1600m, dirt) and Polla de Potrillos (G3, 1600m, dirt), leading the next three programs.

The fillies will kick things off on Tuesday, August 5, with the winner of the Polla de Potrancas collecting ARS 6,915,000, plus a first-place bonus of ARS 3,000,000. Originally 15 were entered, but only six fillies were confirmed, headed by the dominant Elenika (Winning Prize), who has swept through the local preps with wins in the Clásico Andrés S. Torres (G3), Raúl Aristegui (G2), and Miguel Luis Morales (G2).

Trained by Esteban Brown, Elenika will face a tough challenge from Forti Leaf (Fortify), who returns to her home base after a sharp score in the Clásico Manuel J. Güiraldes (G3) at Palermo, where she defeated Mi Confesión (Suggestive Boy), recent winner of the Clásico Bayakoa (L) at San Isidro. The lineup also includes Cálida Sonrisa (Cosmic Trigger), My Pride (Daddy Long Legs), Sinfonía Latina (Señor Candy), and unbeaten Souq (Forge).

The colts will take the spotlight on Thursday, August 7, in the Polla de Potrillos, which drew a field of 10 following four withdrawals. Leading the charge is Winston (Forge), impressive last-out winner of the Clásico Isidoro Aramburu (G3), who will aim to solidify his status as the top 3-year-old based at La Plata.

The Juan Saldivia trainee will square off against: Candy Cato (Il Mercato), Gatao (Daddy Long Legs), Llebrenc(Forge), Regalo del Sol (Lucullan), Roman Libanés (Roman Joy), Un Infierno (Dabster), Unbroken (Seahenge), Amuni (Tetaze), and Vampiro Zen (Zensational).

Also scheduled for Thursday is the Especial Bolivia (1200m), a feature for older fillies and mares under weight-for-age conditions. The field includes: Curiosa Hit (Hit It a Bomb), What a Glory (Safety Check), High Rimout (Remote), Tac-Tac (Manipulator), Gurisa Mask (Mask), and Ventaja Clara (Sardinero).

Sunday’s card, originally slated to include the Especial Chevillard, has been trimmed to 11 conditional races following its cancellation—another underwhelming weekend offering at La Plata, continuing a disappointing trend.