Month: October 2023

‘She Stays All Day’: Romagna Mia Has Stamina To Spare For First U.S. Win In Dowager

Team Valor International's Romagna Mia (GB) went to the front before the eighth pole and drew off to post a three-length victory over Transient (GB) in the 32nd running of the $260,025 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by John Velazquez, Romagna Mia completed 1 1/2 miles on a firm turf course in 2:29.87. The victory marked the first win in the United States for the 4-year-old Mastercraftsman filly, the fourth Dowager win for Motion, and second for Velazquez.

Motion's previous victories came with Humaita (GER) in 2004, Kitten's Point in 2015, and Blame Debbie in 2020. Velazquez, who won his third graded stakes of the Fall Meet, previously won the race in 2017 on Apple Betty (IRE).

Henrietta Topham led the field through opening fractions of :24.45 and :48.76 with Vergara and Transient in closest pursuit and Romagna Mia rating in sixth in the field of seven. On the backstretch, Transient closed in on Henrietta Topham and they ran 1-2 to the top of the stretch where Transient took over.

Transient's advantage was short-lived as Romagna Mia quickly closed in with a four-wide bid, took over before midstretch, and pulled away for the convincing victory in her second domestic start.

“As soon as we got past the wire the first time, she got into the bridle,” Velazquez said. “I was following (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr. on Lovely Princess). She was one of the horses to beat and he still had ahold of his horse, so I got to the outside of him on the backstretch. I was like, 'Let me force the pace a little bit maybe. I can force the pace a little bit with (Hernandez).' I know my horse takes a little bit to get going, so I wanted to put her in the clear and keep her going forward.

“(Owner) Barry (Irwin of Team Valor International) kept telling me, 'She stays all day. She stays all day,' ” Velazquez continued. “So I just had that in my head. She's going to stay all day, so I'm going to put the pressure on and hope she keeps going that way. When she came to the three-sixteenths (pole), she straightened and she went on and ran away from the horses.”

A Group 2 winner last year in Italy and third in the Beverly D. (G1) Aug. 12 at Colonial Downs in her U.S. debut, Romagna Mia improved her record to 12-4-2-1, and with Sunday's check of $151,125 improved her earnings to $363,304. She is a 4-year-old daughter of Mastercraftsman (IRE) out of the Rip Van Winkle (IRE) mare Washington Blue (GB) and was bred by Cavendish Bloodstock.

Sent off as the favorite in the field of seven, Romagna Mia returned $6.76 for the win. Transient finished a head in front of Loved Reiko.

It was another 2½ lengths back to Lovely Princess, who was followed by Vergara, Henrietta Topham and Personal Best to complete the order of finish.

The post ‘She Stays All Day’: Romagna Mia Has Stamina To Spare For First U.S. Win In Dowager appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Jockey Frank Alvarado Picks Up 4,000th Career Victory

Veteran jockey Frank Alvarado, a mainstay in Northern California throughout the 21st century, picked up his 4,000th career victory in Race 2 on Sunday at Golden Gate Fields aboard five-year-old mare Shout It Out (Boisterous). 54-year-old Alvarado had to wait out a photo finish before giving an exuberant fist pump when the order of finish was posted. He was greeted in the winner's circle post-race by family, friends, racing officials, and fellow members of the Golden Gate riding colony. Alvarado's mounts have accrued $87.8 million throughout a long and successful career that began in his native Panama in 1984. Alvarado's first career win came at Panama's Hipodromo Presidente Ramon Racecourse on April 2, 1984.

Among Alvarado's top mounts currently in training are champion Northern California sprinter Top Harbor (Harbor the Gold) and recent Santa Anita stakes-winning 2-year-old Grand Slam Smile (Smiling Tiger).

 

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Munnings Colt Overcomes Torrid Trip To Graduate at Keeneland

8th-Keeneland, $100,000, Msw, 10-22, 2yo, 6 1/2f, 1:18.24, ft, 1 1/4 lengths.
AGOO (c, 2, Munnings–Grandacious {SW & GSP, $206,304}, by Grand Slam) was a strong second after leading late on his six-furlong Churchill debut Sept. 17 behind Stretch Ride (Street Sense), who validated that peformance with a 5 3/4-length allowance victory going two turns here Oct. 14, good for an 86 Beyer. One of the first to break the line from a double-digit gate, the $72,000 KEENOV weanling and $190,000 KEESEP yearling was forwardly placed, but was no better than five off the fence as there was plenty of speed underneath him. Ridden along and with no other option than to sacrifice ground with a four- and five-wide rally on the turn, Agoo went on the attack from that position on the swing for home as he set his sights on pacesetting debuter Mystik Dan (Goldencents). Maintaining a relentless gallop into the final furlong, Agoo finally edged to the front a sixteenth from home and prevailed by a hard-fought 1 1/4 lengths. Linebacker (Bolt d'Oro) also turned in a very promising first-out performance, settling well back in the field following a slow start before sustaining a long, wide rally to be third, beaten just two lengths. The winner's dam was purchased by Equus Farm for $15,000 at KEENOV in 2021 and foaled a Violence colt the following season. The mare was most recently covered by Mystic Guide. Sales history: $72,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $190,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $81,350. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Graham Grace Stable; B-Forging Oaks LLC (KY); T-D Whitworth Beckman.

 

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Tamara Works At Santa Anita for BC Juvenile Fillies

Undefeated Tamara (Bolt d'Oro) worked six furlongs in 1:12.60 at Santa Anita Saturday morning in preparation for her next start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies under Mike Smith, who has been aboard the two-year-old daughter of Beholder for each of her two wins.

In the work Tamara hooked up with some company, reportedly an unraced two-year-old colt, whom she outworked.

“I was actually kind of hoping to gain some company,” Smith told Zoe Cadman, “and it worked out great. If I hadn't, she's a pretty good work horse if you want her to be. But we were fortunate to catch a little company and she went really nice this morning. I gave them a five-length head start and she came up to them. I gave her a little breather around the turn and headed for home. I let her turn over to her right lead and I wanted to see if she was there, and boy she set me back in the seat, so all systems are go. She's not a tall horse, but she's long and she's very athletic and she really gets up under herself good. You could put a glass of water up on her back and turn her loose out there and she probably wouldn't spill half of it. She's just so smooth.”

Trainer Richard Mandella also pronounced himself pleased with the work.

“She can run,” said Mandella. “She's not a big horse, but when the time is needed, she rises to the occasion. She swells up. She's not tall, she's kind of stocky and stout and growing as we go along. She'll end up bigger than this, but she's big enough,” he concluded with a smile.

Mandella, of course, trained Beholder and Smith was the regular rider on Songbird, whom Beholder beat in her last-ever race in the 2016 Breeders' Cup Distaff. Smith was asked about the irony of that as Tamara's regular rider.

“I even rode her mother once,” said Smith, “but It's pretty cool. I guess it means I've been around for a little bit. It's kind of cool to see these young ones come up and look, she's got a long ways to go before she comes close to her mother, but she's certainly on the right track.”

As for the upcoming Breeders' Cup, Smith said, “I can't wait. I'm really looking forward to it, especially getting to ride a filly with the kind of talent she does. If all goes well, the sky's the limit for her.”

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