Despacito, a horse for whom any praise now seems insufficient…

He defeated Bichita de Luz in the Jorge Valdivieso at Palermo, a mare who was still in her dam’s belly when the winner had already made his debut

Despacito, a true monument to the racehorse… / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Horses like Despacito exhaust every adjective—they go beyond the ordinary. At eight years old, with 53 starts and thousands of kilometers traveled on trucks, the Pampean campaigner added another victory to his distinguished record this Sunday on the heavy dirt track at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo.

When the son of Sabayón had already debuted—during that modest first stage of his career—Bichita de Luz (Fragotero), the mare he defeated in the Jorge Valdivieso, was still in her dam’s belly. The image clearly illustrates the longevity of a horse who, in his own way, is a star.

With Facundo Coria, the jockey who knows him best, Despacito once again displayed that strong late run of his, cutting down the lone mare of the field in the final furlong and defeating her by half a length, stopping the clock in 1:12.57.

The winner did plenty to deserve it, but Bichita de Luz lost nothing in defeat. She went to the front from the break, starting from the rail, and down the stretch was anything but easy to pass, showing grit and quality despite being caught late.

As for Despacito, it is impossible not to highlight the work of Darío Periga in his training. Keeping a horse at such a level for so long is no simple task; he managed it.

Despacito now owns 16 victories, having finished second in this same race—back in 2021. Thirteen of those wins came in stakes, handicaps or allowance-level events, and—as if that were not enough—he has already surpassed 55 million pesos in earnings. More than enough to justify calling him a monument.