Quereme Pass and Guapo Again brought smiles; Little Hidden Port showed improvement

The first one finished second in a tough allowance, the second one won at Tampa Bay Downs, and the mare ran her best race in the USA, but finished last in the Astra Stakes (L)

Mrs. Astor won the Astra Stakes, with Little Hidden Port finishing 5 1/4 lengths behind / BENOIT PHOTO

An upcoming weekend promises plenty of high-stakes activity for Argentine horses in the United States, but the past few days have already delivered a mix of results.

Beyond the previously reported fourth-place finish by Nanda Dea (Fortify) in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial Stakes (L) at Fair Grounds, three other South American runners made headlines.

Perhaps the most significant, despite not resulting in a win, was the excellent second-place finish by Quereme Pass in a tough $25,000 allowance optional claiming race with an $86,000 purse at Gulfstream Park.

Inactive since his victory last September at Kentucky Downs, the son of Distinctiv Passion put in a massive performance, as the race was moved from the turf to the synthetic track and contested over a distance 150 meters longer than the original 1,500 meters.

Always on the lead, the bay only tired in the final stages—as was to be expected—to finish as the runner-up, 2 1/4 lengths behind Cruise the Nile (Cairo Prince), who was ridden by Jorge Ruiz Díaz. Quereme Pass is trained by José F. D'Angelo and defends the colors of Lugamo Racing Stable LLC, a partnership that includes Mauro Castellazzi, whose Pauli stable shines almost daily at San Isidro, Palermo, and La Plata.

Lugamo celebrated further success almost simultaneously at Tampa Bay Downs, where Guapo Again (Seek Again)—also bred by Castellazzi—claimed a claiming race with a $19,000 purse over 1,300 meters on the dirt. With Cipriano Gil in the irons, the gelding won by a decisive 8 1/4 lengths, following a disappointing return to action just a few days prior. This marked his third victory at that venue.

Finally, at Santa Anita Park, things did not go well for Little Hidden Port (Puerto Escondido) in the Astra Stakes (L), run over 2,400 meters on the dirt with a $100,000 purse.

The Hronis Racing mare finished last, 5 1/4 lengths behind the heavy favorite Mrs. Astor (Lookin at Lucky), after setting the pace from the break and fading in the homestretch.

For the veteran Little Hidden Port, however, this was her best performance since arriving in the United States. She will likely deserve another chance in longer distances, where she can better capitalize on her stamina compared to intermediate trips.