Sunday's G1 Clasico Pamplona, an automatic qualifier for the $2-million GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, one of four new races on the 2016 Challenge series, culminates the last of five Challenge races in South America.
The Pamplona, Peru's only Group 1 race reserved on the grass for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles, drew a contentious group of 17 fillies and mares. Among the contenders is Stud Nautica's 6-year-old mare Ryan's Charm (Heatseeker {Ire}), winner of the Pamplona last year. Regular pilot Victor Fernandez has a return call on the Armando Filipuzzi trainee, who will be making her first start since capturing the Clasico Mari July in October 2015. The 5-year-old Broken Game (Broken Vow), twice a winner of the 2000-metre Listed Clasico Felipe Pardo y Barreda, will seek her first win at the highest level and ninth overall for trainer Alfonso Arias and Stud Los 900.
Stud Manning's 3-year-old Antonina (Per) (Awesome Twist), trained by the nation's perennial leading trainer Juan Suarez, twice a winner over the lawn, will mark her return since an impressive second in the Listed Clasico Enrique Ayulo Pardo in late March. Antonina is a half-sister to 2012 Pamplona heroine Azucena (Per) (Battle Hero).
Two more intriguing starters are Stud Altamar's 3-year-old Mar y Mar (Per) (Apprentice) and 5-year-old mare Yes Flanders Yes (Per) (Flanders Fields), both evidencing recent good form, with the latter having won three of her last six starts dating back to December of last year.
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