Payucano, a victory tinged with memories and tears of emotion

The horse named by Alfredo Farioli in tribute to a small football club where his father once played captured the Especial Mangangá

Payucano surged past the field midway down the stretch / HLP

LA PLATA.- Alfredo Farioli shared on social media that the victory secured by Payucano, whom he bred at Haras La Valkiria, in the Especial Mangangá (1,100 m, heavy dirt) brought him to tears.

The reason: when the bay was born, Farioli named him after a small football club in Helvecia where his father once played, long before becoming the number-one fan of the team’s colors. It’s impossible not to be moved by a moment that he likely dreamed of since the Mask colt was young and galloping freely across the fields of Esperanza, in Santa Fe.

In a grueling contest, the bay settled the race with authority, guided by Gonzalo Borda, who remained calm throughout a lightning-fast pace set by Arrosto (Manipulator, 52). The latter, returning from a long layoff, attempted to take advantage of his light weight from the front.

Favored, Payucano improved steadily, swinging wide on the turn and finding the perfect position in the stretch to challenge the leader. Borda urged him forward, and the horse delivered his best, powering past the field.

At the wire, he scored by 2 1/2 lengths over Le Massif (Le Ken, 56), who closed from behind to capitalize on Arrosto’s fading, while the latter finished a good third, one length back. Oro Azteca (Empire Aztec, 54) ran fourth, slightly below expectations. Completely unnoticed was Yukon Jack (Remote, 56), finishing last with no impact—an unusually poor performance. The final time was impressive: 1:05.81, given the track condition.

Trained by Marcelo Sueldo (presented by Juan Pablo E. Díaz) and representing Stud Araci’s, Payucano celebrated his fifth win in 16 starts. This marked his second stakes-level victory, following last year’s Clásico Estrellas Azuleñas at Hipódromo de Azul.

Payucano not only triumphed on the track but also touched the heart of his breeder—a truly heartwarming story.