Calle de Tierra puts his unbeaten record on the line in the Mercader, but Baby Pass is out for revenge

An exciting showdown awaits in the first stakes test for fillies on La Plata Racetrack, contested over 1000 meters

With a perfect record, Calle de Tierra aims for another victory / HLP

LA PLATA.- The juvenile filly division at La Plata kicks off its first stakes test this Thursday, likely on a rain-affected track after recent downpours.

The fillies fared better than their male counterparts, whose path to major second-semester races began to crumble with the cancellation of the Clásico Criadores Argentinos del SPC (L).

As it stands, the Clásico Amilcar A. Mercader (L-1000m, dirt) will take center stage, offering a paltry purse of 4,870,000 pesos to the winner, with Calle de Tierra emerging as the standout contender.

A member of the first crop of champion Strategos, the El Gruñón runner boasts a flawless record, with three wins from as many starts. She began her streak in the Precoces Qualifier, followed by victory in the final, and most recently claimed the Clásico Nueva Generación.

Calle de Tierra faces a rematch against Baby Pass (Distinctiv Passion), who debuted with a strong win on the turf at San Isidro before finishing 1 1/2 lengths behind the favorite in the Nueva Generación—her first experience at La Plata. With a race over the track under her belt, Baby Pass could close the gap this time around.

Trained by Marcelo Sueldo, like Baby Pass and also presented by Juan P. E. Díaz, Pitucona Pass (Distinctiv Passion) enters as another proven winner. Representing Stud Popey, she broke her maiden in her third start here at La Plata in mid-January, narrowly defeating Teba (Mootasadir).

Sahara Reward, another qualifier winner in the Precoces, followed that effort with a seventh-place finish in the final. She returned to take third in the Nueva Generación, finishing 4 1/2 lengths behind Calle de Tierra. Will this third meeting finally tip the scales in her favor?

Bon o Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) and Indy Mía (Puerto Escondido) showed promise in their respective debuts but will need to step up to contend here. The same applies to Equal Soñadora (Equal Talent), who was well-beaten in her lone start.