Team Valor International LLC's Romagna Mia (GB) has been installed as the 6-5 morning-line favorite for Tuesday's $125,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park, where the 1 3/8-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares could well turn out to be a steppingstone for the $500,000 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf Jan. 27.
The 4-year-old Mastercraftsman filly, a Group 2 winner in Europe, has gotten off to a solid start in the U.S., finishing third in the Beverly D. (G1) Aug. 12 at Colonial Downs and a victory in the Dowager (G3) Oct. 22 at Keeneland.
“The goal was to try to get a Grade 1-placing, which we did. That was a big score,” trainer Graham Motion said he said of the filly's Beverley D. effort. “Then she came back to win really comfortably at Keeneland.”
Romagna Mia settled off the pace in the 1½-mile Dowager before surging in the stretch to win by three lengths.
“I think she's pretty exciting,” Motion said. “Just watching her breeze and train, she seems to do things very easily. I thought her win was very impressive.”
John Velazquez has the return call on Romagna Mia.
Roger Keith Long Revocable Trust's Miss Yearwood enters the Via Borghese off a seven-month layoff in her search for her third straight victory. The 4-year-old daughter of Will Take Charge, who is rated second at 9-5 on the morning line, captured the 1 ½-mile Keertana Stakes at Churchill Downs in May.
Chris Landeros has the return call on the Ian Wilkes-trained graded stakes-placed homebred.
AMO Racing USA's Maman Joon (IRE) is slated to make her U.S. debut after competing in group races in Europe. The Jorge Delgado-trained daughter of Sea The Stars will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez.
Indicia, Viva La Red, Sensitivity, Coco, and Tass round out the field.
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