Sarzana Pass and Baby Pass form a dangerous duo for Haras El Alfalfar in the 1000-meter dash of the Clásico Carlos Pezoa

The two daughters of Distinctiv Passion bring both experience and talent to the table as they take on five speed-hungry rivals eager to prove themselves in the sprint ranks

Sarzana Pass looks to solidify her status as the top 2-year-old sprinter in training / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Young sprinters are set to once again take over the scene at Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo this Sunday, with the Clásico Carlos Pezoa (1000m, dirt) as the highlight. And it will be Stud-Haras El Alfalfar that lays down its strongest hand, sending out the formidable pair of Sarzana Pass (Distinctiv Passion) and Baby Pass (Distinctiv Passion), two fillies already proven at stakes level.

As if getting past one of them wasn’t challenging enough, the remaining five runners will now have to deal with both accomplished fillies, each bringing class and valuable experience to the gate.

Targeting the Estrellas Junior Sprint (G3), Sarzana Pass made headlines when she captured the Clásico Carlos Casares (G3), and later tested deeper waters in the 1200-meter Clásico Saturnino J. Unzué (G2), finishing a distant second behind the powerful Roshita (Gouverneur Morris). Back at her preferred distance, she was dominant in the Especial Gay Hermit, and now aims to take another step forward.

Baby Pass, on the other hand, proved her worth at La Plata when sprinting to victory in the Clásico Amilcar A. Mercader (L). Though she failed to fire in the 1200-meter Derli A. Gómez (G3), she still managed a respectable third behind the then-unbeaten Calle de Tierra (Strategos), despite facing some trouble. Rebounding strongly, she just missed in the Islas Malvinas (L) at San Isidro on turf, closing well to finish only a half and a neck behind Secreto a Voces(Springdom) and Salando Las Heridas (Strategos).

From the rail will break Vendaval Joy (Roman Joy), a colt with plenty of battle scars. A winner of the Clásico Nueva Generación in the south, he later finished second in both the Criadores Argentinos del SPC (L) and the aforementioned Especial Gay Hermit, beaten 1 1/2 lengths by Sarzana Pass, a margin he’ll be out to reverse.

The way Fountana (Santillano) scored on turf caught the eye, and she enters this with rising stock, while Anitta Fric(Leofric) returned in style and impressed moving up the ranks. La Perdiz Pass (Distinctiv Passion) resumes after a three-month break, and Dom Rui (Storm Embrujado) was a distant third in the Gambier (G3).

Expect a fast, furious, and fiercely contested renewal of the Carlos Pezoa.