A Storied Surname, A Victory All His Own

With Need You Tonight, Roberto Andrés Pellegatta—son of the legendary "Profesor"—reached the summit after years of hard work, firmly establishing his own path within Argentine racing

A dream moment for Roberto A. Pellegatta / HAPSA

By Simón Mitagstein

The image of Maximiliano Aserito weeping like a child aboard Need You Tonight after winning last Thursday’s G1 Gran Premio República Argentina at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo became the defining snapshot of the day—a surge of raw emotion that seized the cameras and stole the spotlight.

Though he expressed it more quietly, the same emotion was visible on the face of Roberto Andrés Pellegatta. The son of the legendary "Profesor" had finally reached the summit, after years of perseverance, and in doing so, shed the weight of a last name that in the world of sports often proves more burden than blessing.

Now firmly established with a stable of his own, Pellegatta didn’t shy away from the personal significance of the moment.

“Carrying the name Pellegatta isn’t easy in this game,” he said. “People always see you as someone’s son. It’s been over a decade since I stopped working with my father, and during that time, it was hard to get owners to send me horses. But everything comes in time. I’m very satisfied—it’s a big achievement for me professionally. That said, I always have my dad’s support. We still share thoughts about the horses, and if I have doubts, I ask him. After all, he is El Profesor.”

Pellegatta had already enjoyed notable success with the durable gray Special Dubai (E Dubai), capturing races like the G1 Gran Premio General San Martín and the G3 Gran Premio Vicente Dupuy in San Luis. But with Need You Tonight, he crossed a threshold that had previously eluded him.

“I’d never won a race at this level—not even when I was working under my dad. I’ve had plenty of wins, but none like the República Argentina. It was something I needed, and now I feel proud—deeply satisfied. I share it with my team, the owner who believed in me... it’s something special.”

When asked about the preparation and tactics that led to the breakthrough, Pellegatta was refreshingly candid:

“In the Honor, it was me who told Maxi to take him back. The horse was in good shape; we just lacked a bit of racing luck. That experience helped me tighten things up. We trained him differently this time. In this profession, you're always learning, and the horses will tell you what they need. If we had asked him to run closer to the pace, I think he would’ve finished last. He wasn’t ready for that kind of tempo. The trip played out similarly—he was nowhere early, saving ground, and when he finally got the room he didn’t have last time, you saw what he’s capable of.”

“Sometimes, the race unfolds in your favor. Sometimes it doesn’t. Luck plays a role, and this time we got it. Need You Tonight is a spectacular horse—very sound, which is the best thing you can ask for. In the mornings, he doesn’t show much, but when you saddle him up, he turns into a real racehorse. I have a feeling he’ll run just as well on turf.”

What’s next?

“We’re thinking about the Estrellas—this year they’ll be held at Palermo. He’s not nominated, but we’ve spoken with the owners about paying the supplement. We’ll see. There’s still time.”

How did your father take the win?

“He was thrilled. He congratulated me and said he really liked how Maxi rode him. He’s always backed Maxi, and this was the kind of win Maxi deserved.”

How did the partnership with Aserito begin?

“After we won the Dupuy, we became close friends. I didn’t have a regular jockey at the time, so we started working together. We’ve supported each other. Sometimes I didn’t have many horses, but we kept going. Things have really come together. I think he’s a very talented rider, and I hope we can keep working together. In this game, everything’s already been invented. If you don’t have a good jockey, good grooms, vets, blacksmiths—and most importantly, competitive horses—it’s hard to make it. I’ve built a solid team. That’s where the results come from. Right now, I’ve got 10 horses at As de Picas, thanks to a loan from San Isidro, and about 25 here at Palermo. For me, that’s the ideal number to manage things the way I like.”

Alongside his family, Roberto Andrés Pellegatta didn’t try to hide his emotions—and clearly had no desire to. The dozens of congratulations pouring in are well deserved by someone whose journey is widely known and deeply respected.

“This is in my blood. I grew up in it. Now, the challenge is to keep improving—because the hardest part is staying on top,” he said before signing off. He knows well that no one lives long off a single victory. It was pure clarity from a horseman who just touched the sky with his own hands. And he earned every bit of it.