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.
