Soy Realidad Heads Peru's Gran Premio Pamplona

Led by Stud El Castillo's 3-year-old filly Soy Realidad (CHI), a field of 12 is entered for the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Pamplona (G1) June 25 at Hipodromo de Monterrico. The winner will receive a berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T).

As a part of the benefits of the Breeders' Cup Challenge series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees for the connections of the Grande Premio Pamplona winner to start in the 1 1/8-mile Filly & Mare Turf. Breeders' Cup will also provide a $40,000 travel allowance for all starters based outside of North America to compete in the World Championships at Del Mar Nov. 3-4.

Soy Realidad, a daughter of Ivan Denisovich (IRE), trained by Felix Banda, comes into Sunday's race off a smashing 2017 debut, when she won the group 1 Gran Premio National May 20 by 2 1/4 lengths at Monterrico.

A winner in three of her seven starts, Soy Realidad captured her first career group win in September in the 1 1/4-mile Oscar Berckemeyer Pazo (G3) by two lengths, also at Monterrico. She followed that effort with a third-place finish, beaten just a half-length in the Clasico Postin (G2) at Monterrico. She closed out 2016 with a fourth-place finish in the Gran Premio Nacional Augusto B. Leguia (G1) Dec. 16, 2 1/4 lengths behind the winner. Soy Realidad will be ridden by Juan Enriquez from post 11.

Stud Couet's 3-year-old filly Birdie Gold finished two lengths behind Soy Realidad in the Gran Premio Nacional, where she gave an excellent effort considering it was her first time racing on turf and around two turns. A daughter of Birdstone   out of Gold Revenue, by Touch Gold, Birdie Gold has won three dirt allowance starts at Monterrico from six furlongs to a mile. Birdie Gold was bred in Kentucky by Teneri Farm and Bernardo Alvarez Calderon. Trained by Juan Suárez Villarroel, Birdie Gold will be ridden by Edwin Talaverano from post 5.

Vilarroel has also entered Stud Starbucks's Smart Choice (ARG), a 3-year-old filly who finished second against males in the Gran Premio Nacional in December. Ridden by Rafael Herrera from post 10, the daughter of Grand Reward has won three of her five starts at Monterrico, including a 1 1/2-length victory in a one-mile allowance prep May 27.

Also of interest is Stud Jet Set's 4-year-old filly La Candy (PER), ridden by Ivan Quispe from post 8, who has won consecutive races over the course in the Adolfo Vasquez Pequeno Stakes at about six furlongs March 26 and the one-mile La Sambi Stakes April 16.

The Gran Premio Pamplona is the third Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf qualifier on the third different continent this year. On Jan. 7 Bela-Bela won the Maine Chance Farms Paddock Stakes (G1) at Kenilworth in South Africa, and April 8 Foxplay won the Coolmore Legacy Queen of the Turf Stakes (G1) at Royal Randwick in Australia.