El Exito, Obataye, Need You Tonight, and The Gladiator's Hat will fight for the Horse of the Year title
- Turf Diario
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
The Jockey Club Argentino announced the nominees for the 2025 Carlos Pellegrini Awards with gross errors; Charmis incredibly absent from the top prize
Last Saturday, the Jockey Club Argentino announced the nominees for the upcoming Distinciones Carlos Pellegrini, where Argentine racing will crown its 2025 champions.
Amid surprises, absences, and categories bordering on the ridiculous, many wonder if those with the power to decide and vote exercise that authority with due responsibility, free from "obligations."
As it stands, four names will fight for the title of Horse of the Year, the most prized of all: El Exito (Il Campione), Need You Tonight (Hat Ninja), the Brazilian Obataye (Courtier), and The Gladiator's Hat (Hat Ninja). From them, the best will emerge—a list that ridiculously excludes the name of Charm (Strategos), the best filly of the season and a triple G1 winner.
Instead, the Triple Alliance homebred will go for the Mare of the Year title, sharing the bill with Knows All (Le Blues), Coni Fizz (Marconi), and Moon Frank (Gidu).
The chestnut should have no trouble lifting that statuette, nor securing Champion 2-Year-Old Filly and Champion 3-Year-Old Filly. She will share the first of those categories with Roshita (Gouverneur Morris) and Sarzana Pass(Distinctiv Passion), and the second with Doña Vainilla (Il Campione) and Moon Frank.
Among the young males, everything seems quite close. For Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, Amor de Contramano(Gouverneur Morris), Ardiendo (Remote), and Drive Joy (Fortify) were nominated. Meanwhile, to take home the statuette for Champion 3-Year-Old Colt, Gardel Pass (Distinctiv Passion), Gordianus (Señor Candy), and Real Rim (Remote) were preselected.
The title of Champion Older Mare will be decided between Coni Fizz, Knows All, and Martana (Fortify), while El Exito, Need You Tonight, and Obataye will battle for Champion Older Horse. For Champion Sprinter, the nominees are El Fortín (Il Campione), Labrado (Le Blues), and Le Cornette (Emmanuel).
Regarding Champion Miler, the category consists of El Exito, Earth God (Paramount State), Storm Sound (Hi Happy), and What a Man (Mastercraftsman); the Champion Stayer title will be resolved between Need You Tonight, Obataye, and The Gladiator's Hat.
The case of Obataye is particular. Is winning the Pellegrini enough merit to be in every category? It is the most important race of the year, clearly, but don't the campaigns count? It would be nice to see the vote-by-vote breakdown...
Another category that drew attention was Jockey of the Year, which included Kevin Banegas and Martín Valle, but also Lucrecia Carabajal. Did the jocketta earn enough merit to be part of it? She won the Unzué (G1) with El Fortín, but the question is whether that is enough or if the decision was a matter of quotas. We all adore Lucre, but seriousness must come first.
Lucas González, Martín Montoya, and Wilfrido Torres Maldonado were chosen to compete for Apprentice Jockey of the Year, while Carlos D. Etchechoury, Nicolás Martín Ferro, and Juan Franco Saldivia will do so for Trainer of the Year.
The remaining categories are as follows:
Broodmare of the Year: En Exceso (Easing Along), Roman Princess (Roman Ruler), and Spsurfi'n USA(Crimson Tide).
Stallion of the Year: Fortify (Distorted Humor), Il Campione (Scat Daddy), and Strategos (Zensational).
Owner of the Year: Firmamento, Gran Muñeca, and Haras El Angel de Venecia.
Breeder of the Year: El Paraíso, Firmamento, and Gran Muñeca.
Broodmare Sire of the Year: Easing Along (Storm Cat), Not for Sale (Parade Marshal), and Orpen (Lure).
Additionally, as always, the President of the Jockey Club Argentino will choose the Pellegrini de Oro.
The awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, April 16, at the Tribuna Oficial of Hipódromo de San Isidro. In the future, the voting system—and those who vote—must certainly be reconsidered, because the Pellegrini awards cannot be surrounded by whims or interests, but by accurate information. The numbers rarely lie...
Comments