Señor Moon journeys to La Plata with high hopes

The son of E Dubai will square off against Yukon Jack and Folke Dancer in the five-furlong Especial Campesino

In what will be another small-scale, pocket program featuring just 10 races carded, the local track will anchor its Thursday card with the Especial Campesino. Contested over the five-furlong straight (1000m), the event is open to 5-year-olds and up with three or more victories, offering a meager winner's prize of 3,250,000 pesos—an amount that, after standard deductions, will barely cover stable expenses.

It is difficult to pinpoint a standout favorite, though three or four names sit a notch above the rest. Among them is Señor Moon (E Dubai, 58kg), who will ship to the Bosque track for only the second time in his career, looking to replicate his latest outing where he dictated terms from gate to wire to capture the Especial Make Tracks on the San Isidro dirt.

Only due to a lengthy layoff dating back to September is Yukon Jack (Remote, 56kg) relegated from top billing. As a winner of the Clásico Estados Unidos de América (G3) and Clásico Platería, he boasts elite class lines for this company and will be tough to deny if he returns fully sound.

The top sprinter from Dolores, Folke Dancer (Forge, 60kg), will shoulder the field's top weight but remains a formidable challenger. Over this course in early February, he finished a good second, beaten three lengths by Vespaciano (Daniel Boone) in the Especial Bernabeu, and must be respected.

Cántaros Song (Alcindor, 58kg) brings a deep baseline of strong form coupled with sharp current conditioning, making him a major threat to clear the field. Finally, veteran París Tech (Luhuk, 56kg) and the in-form Siglo Veinte (Sebi Halo, 54kg) both add depth to the lineup and warrant close monitoring.