Jumping from the conditions races, the colt from Stud El Wing dominated the favorite Endor Rye by 5 lengths in brilliant style
Roberto Andrés Pellegatta has a raw diamond in Need You Tonight. A colt to get excited about, with the potential to make a lasting mark in distance races. After a late debut in the last days of August 2024, he took the leap after two conditional wins and proved in the Clásico Otoño (G2) that the sky is the limit.
Some may argue that the version of the race that opened the Campeonato de Oro on Saturday at Palermo was one of the weakest in recent times, and they'd be right. But no one can deny that the Endrigo Gennoni-reserved colt from Haras El Wing possesses talent that the general public is just beginning to discover.
In a very challenging track after heavy rains, and with a release that pushed him even further outside than he already was, Need You Tonight was a fireball, defeating a much more experienced and in-form rival like Endor Rye (Endorsement).
With the Uruguayan jockey Maximiliano Aserito Rodríguez aboard – who had previously won the Dupuy (G3) last year with Pellegatta Jr. riding Special Dubai (E Dubai) – the son of the good stallion Hat Ninja let the favorite set the pace, with sustained fractions of 24s83/100, 49s41/100, and 1m13s98/100, while El Darwin adopted a more moderate approach.
In the final stretch, Jorge Peralta urged Endor Rye, but the winner came charging from the outside, putting the pressure on him as soon as the final stretch began. The leader resisted for a while, but from the 300-meter mark to the wire, Need You Tonight began to assert dominance, winning by 5 lengths, with Operístico (Daddy Long Legs) taking third a further 3 lengths behind, all after a time of 2m2s7/100, with a complementary mile fraction of 1m38s13/100.
What stood out most was the winner's final sprint. Given the conditions, it was hard to finish with energy, but Endor Rye didn’t falter much; his rival was simply superior.
With 3 consecutive wins in just 5 outings (the first over a mile and the next two at 2000 meters, all on dirt), Need You Tonight delivered another success for the 3-year-olds over older horses in the toughest races of the 2025 season, joining Grezzo (Hi Happy), who took the Gran Premio Miguel A. Martínez de Hoz (G1) weeks earlier on the turf at San Isidro.
A sibling to the consistent Con Exceso (Homage) and Froom (Holy Boss), the hero of the Otoño is the grandson of Mystify Me (Lode), a mare that Gennoni enjoyed greatly in his racing days, taking five photos with her, including in the Clásico Omega (G3) and Handicap Ipe. She also produced Mystic Song (Sultry Song), who in turn gave birth to Hutchence (Lizard Island), winner of the Handicap Potrillazo. The INXS saga.
Need You Tonight gave an excellent display in the Otoño, and now stands as one of the top contenders for the Gran Premio de Honor (G1), where it’s expected that his opponents will be tougher than those he faced now. Of course, he’ll be bigger, with more experience, and who knows how far he’ll go with the talent he has shown so far...
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