Marcelo Sueldo Continues to Add Stakes Successes With His Juveniles

The trainer teamed up once again with Gonzalo Borda to shine at La Plata, this time with Siesta in the Clásico Raúl Aristegui (G2)

LA PLATA.- The outstanding work Marcelo Sueldo has been doing with his juveniles throughout the current season added another significant chapter on Tuesday when Siesta captured the Clásico Raúl Aristegui (G2) in commanding fashion, another key stop along the selective trail for 2-year-old fillies.

In a crop where the trainer, based in Campo 2 at Hipódromo de San Isidro, has become the dominant force at La Plata thanks to fillies such as Gota Clara Sos (Made You Look) and Salema (Il Mercato), it is now Siesta who takes center stage, aided by a pedigree that strongly suggests longer distances will play to her strengths.

Following the race, Sueldo made it clear during an interview with Daniel Sinegub for the track's official television broadcast that his confidence in the chestnut filly had never wavered.

“I've always held her in very high regard, but she wasn't responding the way I expected,” Sueldo explained. “Her morning works have always been excellent, but for one reason or another she hadn't been able to show in the afternoon what she does in the mornings. That's why today's instructions were to put her into the race early, make her work a little, and see if that would help her grow in confidence and find another gear. She weighs 530 kilos, she's a big, strong filly, so the idea was to ask more of her and try to bring out her best.”

Asked about the winner's future, the trainer preferred to remain cautious.

“That's something we'll have to discuss with the owners. After that we'll decide what the next step will be.”

It is worth noting that after their successes at La Plata, both Gota Clara Sos and Salema were eventually directed by Sueldo toward the most important races on the national calendar, a path that Siesta could very well follow now.

Before leaving, the trainer took the opportunity to acknowledge the team effort behind his stable's exceptional campaign.

“I want to thank the people from the stud very much because we're having a tremendous season and a large part of the credit belongs to them. The team is fundamental, and we've put together a very good one. The results are simply a consequence of that.”

For his part, jockey Gonzalo Borda, who currently leads the rider standings at La Plata, shared his satisfaction with the performance.

“I'm very happy,” Borda said. “She's a naturally precocious filly, and Marcelo asked me to start asking her from the 800-meter mark. When she straightened for home she responded beautifully and showed a really strong turn of foot. I kept encouraging her because the idea was for her to draw away and leave a lasting impression.”

With Sueldo and Borda continuing to dominate the La Plata statistics, Siesta now emerges as another major player within a promising generation.

The Polla (G2) and the Selección (G1) already loom on the horizon—provided the daughter of Cityscape continues her campaign at El Bosque.