Saldivia-Peralta Partnership Celebrates with Winston at La Plata

The trainer was pleased with the Forge colt’s victory in the Clásico Isidoro Aramburu and now plans to bring him back for the Polla

Jorge Peralta, Jorge Caro, and Juan Saldivia: A Winning Team / HLP

LA PLATA.- Juan Saldivia is a well-known figure at La Plata, where he spent several years working before moving his base to Palermo to first serve as Roberto Pellegatta’s right-hand man and now to train his own clients—while maintaining his successful partnership with one of Argentina’s leading trainers.

Perhaps that’s why the emotion was so evident on Saldivia’s face after Winston captured Tuesday’s feature, the Clásico Isidoro Aramburu (G3), which served as the final major prep for the upcoming Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G3). In two weeks, the Polla will launch the Southern Triple Crown.

“I’m very happy to come here and compete in La Plata’s important races. This was a prep to be able to run in the local Polla. He was game, won well, and came out of it in good shape, so I think we’ll probably achieve that goal and be there for such an important race,” Saldivia told Daniel Sinegub, whose interviews add colorful insights to the broadcast.

The trainer went on to explain:

“Sono Perfetto got to the front early, was cruising, and got tough when they hit the stretch. But at the 200-meter mark, they started to battle head-to-head, and luckily ours had a bit more left in the end to edge away. Also, Jorgito (Peralta, the jockey) gave it everything he had to make it happen so we could go home with the trophy.”

Jorge Peralta, currently the leading rider at La Plata, is one of Saldivia’s trusted go-to jockeys, especially when racing at “the city of diagonals.”

Long established among the country’s top jockeys, Peralta kicked off his Tuesday double with Winston in the Aramburu before scoring again in race 12 aboard Guapo Brazilian (Quiet Brazilian). Reflecting on the win, he said:

“In this team, the stable does everything, and it’s my job up there not to mess it up. The horse in front got tough, but when I asked Winston in earnest, he was able to draw away. Last time at Palermo I tried to rate him, I went against his style, and he got upset—he didn’t run at all, though he was ready for much more. This time we planned to let him get comfortable little by little, and thankfully it worked out, and we got the win.”