Miracles are hard to come by with a low-level plater; with a class horse, it is easy to overthink and fail
- Turf Diario
- Apr 5
- 2 min read
Patience paid off for trainer Juan Saldivia as Butterfing outdueled Need You Tonight to secure a hard-fought victory in the Gran Premio de Honor (G1) at Palermo
In horse racing, patience is often the fundamental ally of success. While it is difficult to work miracles with a commoner, it is remarkably easy to make mistakes with a good horse. Trainer Juan Saldivia understood this implicitly with Butterfing (Angiolo). Aware of the talent he held, Saldivia urged his owners—including Adolfo Cambiaso—to wait and avoid the risk of rushing. On Saturday, the grey colt repaid that patience with a magnificent victory.
Following a superb return to action after his excellent third in the Gran Premio Nacional (G1), the son of Angiolo took a massive leap forward to defeat the formidable Need You Tonight (Hat Ninja) in a thrilling edition of the Gran Premio de Honor (G1-2000m, dirt). The race served as the pivotal second leg of the Palermo Oro Championship.
Despite having only three prior starts, Butterfing performed like a seasoned veteran. Carrying speed in his genes—as a half-brother to G1 winner Cima de Areco—he pressed his stablemate Buen Escocés (Bodemeister) early before looming large on the final turn. As they entered the stretch, the battle commenced with Need You Tonight, who launched a stern challenge from the outside. Jockey Kevin Banegas was relentless aboard the winner, who dug in to score by a half-length, leaving Need You Tonight as the runner-up in this race for the second consecutive year.
El Emporio (Il Campione) finished a solid third, two lengths back, ending his winning streak but performing well. They were followed closely by Billion (Galicado) and Buen Escocés. The 2025 Derby winner, Gordianus (Señor Candy), failed to settle with the early pace and finished last. The final time was 2:02.79. With the Gran Premio República Argentina (G1) looming on May 1st, a highly anticipated rematch is already the talk of the backstretch.
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