Aires de Gloria, the Outsider Who Stole the Show in Palermo's Sprint

With Gustavo Calvente in the irons, the dark bay bred by El Paraíso defeated Príncipe Soñado in the Listed Clásico Prensa Hípica and joined the upper echelon of sprinters

Down the center of the track, Aires de Gloria got the better of Príncipe Soñado (left) / HAPSA

In a field packed with seasoned names, it was Aires de Gloria who delivered the biggest surprise, stepping up from a modest one-win condition to capture Monday’s Clásico Prensa Hípica (L) over the main track at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.

The son of Angiolo, dismissed at long odds in a field of 11, took down the heavily favored duo of Príncipe Soñado(Fragotero) and Maldito Sea (Compasivo Cat), both of whom carried lofty expectations into the 1000-meter feature.

Tracking just off a contested pace, Aires de Gloria advanced through the stretch under a determined Gustavo Calvente, engaging Príncipe Soñado late and getting the nod by a nose after a brief delay for a photo. En Un Rincón (Manipulator) finished three-quarters of a length back in third, narrowly ahead of Maldito Sea, with the clock stopping at a swift :57.15.

Trained by Maximiliano Quiroga for Stud La Familia Ingalls—the same silks carried to graded success by 2024 G3 winner Filippiada (Il Mercato)—Aires de Gloria was bred by Haras El Paraíso and became the 42nd stakes winnerfor standout sire Angiolo. He is also the top performer to date out of the talented Saiardhana (Sebi Halo), a listed winner herself and a product of one of the farm’s foundation families—tracing back to Calqui Cumey (Basajaun), dam of G1 winners Ipacarai, Cafrune, Incaparai, champion Springdom, and the classy Dana Calqui.

With this victory, Aires de Gloria catapults himself into the upper ranks of Argentina’s sprint division, where competition is always fierce. The challenge now will be to hold his ground and keep climbing the ladder.