Victoria Bayern heads to La Plata aiming to conquer a fiercely competitive Clásico Joaquín V. Maqueda

The mare from Stud Rubio B. will face no shortage of dangerous rivals in Saturday’s feature event; the card will also include the Especial Bethysmal

Victoria Bayern arrives at La Plata seeking another major victory / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

LA PLATA.- With the usual rotation of major racing venues, Saturday’s spotlight shifts to this racetrack, where a 13-race program has been assembled featuring the Clásico Joaquín V. Maqueda (G3-1400m, dirt) and the Especial Bethysmal (1600m, dirt) as the headline attractions.

The Maqueda brought together a group of mares with proven class and should produce a highly entertaining contest. There are several legitimate contenders, making it difficult to single out one clear standout.

Still, the nod goes toward Victoria Bayern (Santillano), who arrives in ascending form and off arguably the best performance of her career. That effort came over the turf at Palermo, where she finished second, beaten just three-quarters of a length by Adi Shakti (Lucullan) in the Clásico Asociación de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera (G3) while finishing ahead of several highly regarded rivals.

Of course, this will mark her first appearance at La Plata, and adapting to the “city of diagonals” is never an easy assignment. Hoping to capitalize on their local experience are both Elenika (Winning Prize) and Emprestada (Cosmic Trigger).

Elenika was among the top fillies of last season at La Plata and even proved herself at the highest level. However, she has not looked at her sharpest in her two most recent starts and will need to improve considerably.

Emprestada, meanwhile, stretches out in distance after posting a pair of highly impressive victories over this track. She captured the Eusonio Boni (L) last October and, returning from a layoff in early April, delivered a dominant performance in the Federico Plowes. The obvious question is whether she will stay farther, though at least over 1400 meters that does not appear likely to be an issue.

Mis Locuras (Manipulator) will attempt to use her speed aggressively and try to take them all the way, while Guadilú (Señor Candy) and Foto Mental (Leofric) are also expected to make their presence felt.

In the special event, it may prove difficult to deny Sia (Puerto Escondido, 54), who finished third behind End of Spring (Il Campione) and It’s My Look (Equal Stripes) in the Clásico Miss Loren in her first appearance at this venue.