El Exito Returns to His Favorite Track and Stands as the Horse to Beat in the Gran Premio Palermo
- Turf Diario
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
After a Disappointing Effort on Turf in the Ecuador (G2), José C. Blanco’s Pupil Looks to Bounce Back with Another G1 Victory
The Gran Premio Palermo (G1–1600 meters, dirt) will once again bring back the king of the local mile to the track he dominates. After a forgettable effort on the turf at San Isidro in the Clásico Ecuador (G2), El Exito (Il Campione)returns to his beloved surface at Avenida del Libertador and Dorrego, seeking yet another top-level triumph in one of the division’s signature events.
Opening Saturday’s high-profile program, the race presents a challenging field for the Stud F. Enrique runner. Before that expected turf setback, the José C. Blanco trainee had compiled five consecutive victories at Palermo, including the Clásicos Good Manners, El Virtuoso (G3) and Benito Villanueva (G2), along with the Gran Premio de las Américas–OSAF (G1) and the Estrellas Mile (G1). In that last one, he had to dig a little deeper to repel Descamisado (Cosmic Trigger) by half a length—a rival he’ll meet again this weekend.
Descamisado has lost some momentum since that effort but remains a legitimate contender. Perhaps the main danger for the likely favorite will be Kopke (Hi Happy), who captured the Ecuador (G2) and later finished second, 3 1/2 lengths behind What a Man (Mastercraftsman) in the Gran Premio San Isidro (G1).
Two-time G1 winner Earth God (Cosmic Trigger), third in both the Estrellas Mile and the Clásico República Federativa del Brasil (G3), skipped the San Isidro but is back in action—many expect to see him regain the brilliant form that defined his 2024 campaign.
The lineup also includes several promising 3-year-olds, led by Liberto (Hurricane Cat), hero of the Clásico Old Man (G3), runner-up in the Miguel Cané (G2) behind Amor de Contamano (Gouverneur Morris), and seventh in the Gran Premio Polla de Potrillos (G1) won by Gardel Pass (Distinctiv Passion).
Among the others, Coro de Rojas (Daddy Long Legs) looks like a solid longshot, while Comando Secreto (War Command)—the 2023 winner of this same race—returns with experience on his side. Completing the field are the consistent Emergent (Il Campione), Che Vivi (Manipulator), Ronda de Ases (Forge)—the probable pacesetter—and the young Picasso (Lucullan), who impressed at La Plata but faces a steep class test at this stage of his career.
