Fantasioso Pass Makes His U.S. Debut, Chasing a Christmas Present

The Argentine colt, one of the standout 2-year-olds of the season, will contest an allowance over a mile on the turf at Tampa Bay Downs

Fantasioso Pass captured the 2025 Guillermo Kemmis at the Hipódromo Argentino de Palermo / JUAN I. BOZZELLO

TAMPA, Fla. (Special to Turf Diario) — Could an Argentine victory arrive in the United States on Christmas Eve? Fantasioso Pass will provide the answer this Wednesday when he makes his local debut over the turf at Tampa Bay Downs.

Now under the care of Victor Carrasco Jr. and racing for Tagermeen Racing, the son of Distinctiv Passion is entered in the afternoon’s seventh race, an allowance optional claiming worth $56,500, with a $32,000 tag, contested over one mile on grass.

Listed among the morning-line contenders, the bay will be ridden by Daniel Centeno and has not raced since Mar. 31, when he bade farewell to Argentina with a third-place finish in the G3 Pedro E. y Manuel A. Crespo at Palermo. Earlier in his campaign, he captured the G3 Guillermo Kemmis, finished second in the G2 Santiago Luro, and was third in the G3 Congreve—his lone previous appearance on turf—after an ideal debut.

Out of Fantasy Zone (Easing Along) and bred by Haras El Alfalfar, whose colors he carried during his initial campaign, Fantasioso Pass arrives off a solid string of works, capped by a comfortable final breeze of 1000 meters in 1:04.80. Prior moves included 800 meters in :48.40 and another 1000-meter drill in 1:01.60.

Among his principal rivals is Mo Trump (Mo Town), who showed promise early in his career but has lacked recent spark, albeit while facing tougher company. Also entered is Tok Tok (Quality Road), from the barn of H. Graham Motion, a winner of the Kitten’s Joy Stakes (L) at Colonial Downs in 2023 who returned from a long layoff with an eighth-place finish at Laurel Park.

Britain’s Kitten (Big Blue Kitten), a recent fourth in allowance company at Fair Grounds and the 2022 Woodchopper Stakes (L) winner, and Sam Stormy (Get Stormy), a four-time winner, are additional names to consider.

Will Fantasioso Pass deliver a Christmas gift for Argentine racing? The answer comes Wednesday in Tampa.