'TDN Rising Star' Carina Mia–an impressive heroine in the slop of last term's GII Golden Rod S. beneath the Twin Spires–didn't have enough points to draw into the body of the field for Saturday's GI Kentucky Oaks, but served notice to her peers with a tour-de-force of her own on the undercard.
Heavily favored here after tiring to finish fourth after setting the pace in her first start of the season in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 9, Carina Mia took a hard bump at the start to race further back than usual. Hard held by rider Julien Leparoux in sixth through fractions of :22.68 and :45.52, she tugged her way closer along the bend, split rivals into the lane and dropped the hammer thereafter to win for fun in a sharp final time.
“This wasn't the original plan, but it certainly was our backup,” Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said. “But we felt it was a race would nominate for; she was already nominated to the Kentucky Oaks. [Finishing] fourth over in the Ashland we fell one placing short of having enough points to get into the Oaks, but it wasn't our plan to go directly to the Ashland, either. Actually, we were going to have a prep race before that, and it just didn't work out because of the quarantine [at Payson Park].”
He continued, “She got a good education out of it today. She was in between and behind and [Julien Leparoux] actually had to steady a little bit heading into the turn. When he tipped her out, she has a gear now. I guess the [GI] Acorn [S. at Belmont Park June 11] would be the next thing on the docket for her. Who knows, maybe will run into Songbird in the Acorn.”
Carina Mia, second in her debut behind Stageplay (Curlin) at Keeneland Oct. 10, romped by 9 3/4 lengths in her maiden breaker at second asking going 6 1/2 furlongs in Lexington Oct. 29, good for a 97 Beyer Speed Figure. She turned the tables on Stageplay in wire-to-wire fashion by 4 1/4 lengths in the Golden Rod. The dark bay was receiving first-time Lasix here after finishing 2 1/2 lengths behind Weep No More (Mineshaft) in the Ashland.
Carina Mia, a half-sister to GI Santa Margarita Invitational S. heroine Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner), was produced by the unraced Southern Halo mare Miss Simpatia (Arg). Her dam, bred to Malibu Moon the past two seasons, has a 2-year-old Warrior's Reward filly named Bonita Mia.
Saturday, Churchill Downs
EIGHT BELLES S.-GII, $200,000, CD, 5-6, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:21.74, ft.
1–CARINA MIA, 118, f, 3, 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
($410,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Three Chimneys Farm LLC;
B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Julien R.
Leparoux. $120,280. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $309,120.
*1/2 to Miss Match (Arg) (Indygo Shiner), G1SW-Arg, $216,457.
[bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-training-and-sales-graduate”][bullet ad=”bridlewood-farm-training-graduate”][bullet ad=”warrendale-sold-congratulations-to-all-the-connections”] Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
2–Blip n' Th Bye, 118, f, 3, Tale of Ekati–Zero Interest, by
Kafwain. ($24,000 RNA Ylg '14 KEESEP; $60,000 RNA 2yo '15
OBSAPR). O-Beau Lane; B-E. H. Beau Lane (KY); T-Albert Stall Jr. $38,800.[bullet ad=”bred-and-raised-by-woodline-farm”]3–Nickname, 118, f, 3, Scat Daddy–Nina Fever, by Borrego.
($350,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-LNJ Foxwoods; B-Michael Hui
(KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. $19,400.
Margins: 6, 1 3/4, 1. Odds: 0.60, 20.60, 4.10.
Also Ran: Put Da Blame On Me, Summer Reading, Jade Princess, Stageplay, Marquee Miss.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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