Reappearance Out of the Way, Causeway Girl Takes on High-Class Company in Bold Step Forward

The daughter of Dabster returns to the Palermo turf as the leading contender in the G3 Clásico Asociación Cooperativa de Criadores SPC Ltda.

Causeway Girl is already a stakes winner over the Palermo turf / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Headlining an entertaining Monday card at Palermo, the G3 Clásico Asociación de Propietarios de Caballos de Carrera will gather a competitive group of 13 fillies and mares aged three and up over 1400 meters on the turf.

Leading the charge is Causeway Girl, who looks ready to take a bold step forward now that her comeback run is behind her. A daughter of Dabster, she already picked up two black-type wins this season—the G3 Asociación Cooperativa de Criadores SPC Ltda. and the Clásico Empiric—after running third in the G3 General Luis María Campos as a 3-year-old.

Trained by Juan Saldivia, Causeway Girl returned from a five-month layoff to finish third in the Clásico Farnesio, beaten just a half-neck and 1 1/2 lengths by Guiltless (Full Mast) and Early Life (Suggestive Boy), respectively—both of whom she’ll face again as she seeks revenge.

Guiltless pulled off a mild upset in that last clash and will need to prove she can maintain that level despite an inconsistent record. Early Life, meanwhile, is expected to show her usual early speed, and may prove hard to reel in if left alone up front.

Also looming large is Noche Alta (Hi Happy), the La Plata shipper who failed to fire in the G2 Clásico Bullrich over 2000 meters in her return, but who now cuts back to a more suitable distance. She won this very race 12 months ago and is more than capable on her best form.

Viva Al Sur (South Kissing) had a health setback that compromised her run in the G2 Fernández Guerrico at San Isidro, but now fully recovered, trainer Gustavo Scarpello gives her another shot at earning valuable black-type. If she returns to peak form, she can be a major player.

Also worth a long look is Coni Fizz (Marconi), runner-up by a half-neck to Champion Craf (Mastercraftsman) in the Clásico Doria, and Same Treasure (Treasure Beach), who finished a solid third—just 5 1/2 lengths behind Obra Clásica(Suggestive Boy)—in the Guerrico and could make her presence felt again here.