Piñazo and Winston Stand Out in the Finale of La Plata's Triple Crown

The Jockey Club winner and the Polla victor clash again, this time over a demanding 2,200 meters in the Clásico Provincia de Buenos Aires (G2)

On the inside, Piñazo edges out Nassau in the La Plata Jockey Club / HLP

LA PLATA.- The Bosque Triple Crown will reach its climax this Friday with the Clásico Provincia de Buenos Aires (G2-2200 m, dirt), once a G1 event, offering a purse of just ARS 10,190,000 plus a ARS 5,000,000 bonus for the winner.

With no colt capable of matching Vilas Light’s (Light Cavalry) 1992 sweep of the series, the track will still feature the winners of the Polla de Potrillos (G3) and the Jockey Club de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (G2): Winston (Forge) and Piñazo (John F. Kennedy).

A rematch is on the cards, as Piñazo took the second leg of the Triple Crown, controlling the race from start to finish and holding off Nassau (Forge)—being aimed at the Gran Premio Nacional (G1)—by just a head over a demanding, loose surface.

That day, Winston, fresh off an easy win in the Polla, looked for a long stretch as if he would finish out of the money, but he made up plenty of ground through the lane to grab third, 2 1/2 lengths behind. Trainer Juan Saldivia was left smarting after having the colt positioned too far back and launching his run too late, and he’ll be back looking for redemption—with Kevin Banegas taking over the reins this time.

Likely traveling from Palermo in the same shipment is Sono Perfetto (Tetaze), winner of the José Pedro Ramírez (G3), runner-up in the Isidoro Aramburu (G3) to Winston, and fourth in the Jockey Club, though this time he will adopt a more reserved approach. Can he make his move? Undoubtedly one of the key contenders.

Among the most experienced in the field is Emblematicu (Lucullan), who just notched his second conditional win over 1500 meters. He steps up in both distance and class, but the hope of a breakthrough remains strong. Señor Dalton (Señor Candy) returns to the track of his lone victory, aiming to improve, though he faces a tough task.