Gladiador Stone and Neón Boy Prove Dominant at Palermo
- Turf Diario
- Sep 12
- 2 min read
In the races restricted to runners with previous form in the provinces, the fields came up short this time; Gladiador Stonecaptured the Che Mandrake, while Neón Boy prevailed in the Froom
An unusual Thursday card at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo featured a pair of special events designed for horses with previous provincial form. The Especial Che Mandrake, contested at 1000 meters, and the Especial Froom, run over 1400 meters, were both staged on the dirt for 3-year-olds and up.
A cause for concern, however, was the short field sizes of four and six runners, respectively—a signal that staging these races too frequently may prove counterproductive compared to when they are offered more sporadically.
On the track, the victories went the way of Gladiador Stone (Roman Stone—Podría Ser, by Maktub, bred by Leticia A. Echeveste) and Neón Boy (Cosmic Trigger—Niner Spirit, by Sunray Spirit, bred by Haras Abolengo), both scoring with authority.
Carrying top weight of 60 kilos and partnered by Gustavo Calvente, Gladiador Stone built on a promising debut third in July’s Especial Encuentro Provincial Invierno. Representing Stud Abuelo Cholo, he went straight to the front, was pressed throughout by Angustiado Pass (Distinctiv Passion), but began to edge clear entering the final 250 meters and drew off to score by 2 1/2 lengths in 57.90.
In the Especial Froom, Neón Boy extended his perfect record at Palermo, where in June he captured the Clásico Estrellas Dirt Junior. Already a winner of the Clásico Copa La Punta Junior at La Punta, San Luis, the chestnut was always in command of a competitive lineup.
Sent straight to the lead by Francisco Leandro, the Lucas Calvo trainee never looked back. Far from tiring in the lane, he maintained a strong tempo to finish 2 1/2 lengths in front of favored Eccentric (Il Campione), with Impregnado Sr(Señor Candy) another nine lengths back in third. The final time was a sharp 1:22.46.
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