Despite towering over her rivals with a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in her latest effort, 'TDN Rising Star' Carina Mia was let go as the second favorite in Saturday's GII Golden Rod S., but turned in a performance that stamps her as a main Midwest threat to Songbird, in a race like the GI Kentucky Oaks back at this venue six months down the road.
The $410,000 Keeneland September purchase had the misfortune of running into Stageplay in their respective racetrack debuts going 6 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland Oct. 10 and set a very fast pace before being overhauled late to drop a three-length decision to the hot favorite. While Stageplay came back to win the Rags to Riches S. over Churchill's one-turn mile Nov. 1, Carina Mia made her next trip to the races in the special Thursday program at Keeneland Oct. 29 and demolished her rivals by 9 3/4 lengths. Third that afternoon was Crooked Stick (Blame), who returned with her own 8 1/4-length tour-de-force in Saturday afternoon's third race between the Twin Spires, and Carina Mia took this next step in style.
Drawn one from the outside while trying a distance of ground for the first time, Carina Mia was trapped out four wide into the first turn, while Stageplay was in tight from between horses, but Julien Leparoux allowed the Three Chimneys colorbearer to roll forward around horses and was able to drop down onto the rail with fully six furlongs to race. Not wanting her chief market rival to get away too far in front, Stageplay edged forward and was just off the flank of Carina Mia as the duo began to pull well clear of the others. Stageplay loomed upsides and looked to have every chance to reel in the pacesetter, but Carina Mia would not fold and won it going away.
“I rode my filly the way she likes to run,” Leparoux said. “I tried to get her to relax as much as she could and she was very relaxed on the front end. I started to ask her pretty early to get her going and around the turn and in the stretch she kept on going very nice.”
Carina Mia's half-sister Miss Match (Arg), also a paternal granddaughter of A.P. Indy, won the G1 Argentina Oaks before adding the GI Santa Margarita Invitational S. in this country. Miss Match was purchased for $500,000 at Keeneland November in 2010 and was exported to Australia, where she has produced a 2-year-old Redoute's Choice (Aus) colt named Glitch (Aus) and a filly foal of this year by Redoute's Choice's successful sire son Snitzel (Aus). Miss Simpatia is represented by a yearling filly of this year by Warrior's Reward.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
GOLDEN ROD S.-GII, $200,000, CD, 11-28, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:45.42, sy.
1–#@CARINA MIA, 119, f, 2, by Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Miss Simpatia (Arg), by Southern Halo
2nd Dam: Miss Peggy (Arg), by Fitzcarraldo (Arg)
3rd Dam: Miss Bimba (Arg), by Our Talisman
'TDN Rising Star' ($410,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Three
Chimneys Farm LLC; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-William I.
Mott; J-Julien R. Leparoux. $119,040. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0,
$163,840. *1/2 to Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner), GISW-US
& G1SW-Arg, $621,614. Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. [bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-training-and-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”warrendale-sales-graduate-shell”] 2–Stageplay, 119, f, 2, Curlin">Curlin–Stage Stop, by Valid Expectations.
O/B-Mike G. Rutherford (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $38,400.
3–Dream Dance, 119, f, 2, Afleet Alex–This Cat Can Dance, by
Vindication. ($50,000 Ylg '14 FTKOCT). O-Stoneway Farm;
B-George Waggoner Stables Inc. (KY); T-Neil J. Howard.
$19,200.
Margins: 4 1/4, 1HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 2.10, 1.60, 14.00.
Also Ran: Dothraki Queen, Sugar Cone, Cold Dish, Thump, Susies Yankee Girl, Charlotte Marie.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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