Soon after Woodbine stakes winner RIDE A COMET won the Grade 3 Tropical Turf Stakes at Gulfstream on Jan. 9, former Woodbine mare CHARMAINE’S MIA blasted fellow gals to win the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita at 6 furlongs on the turf.
Charmaine’s Mia raced for owner and trainer Mike McDonald for 25 races with her last win for him coming in Jan. 2020 at Gulfstream. Fourth in a pair of graded stakes at Woodbine in the summer of 2020, the mare by The Factor was sold to Agave Racing Stable after a second-place finish for $62,500 claiming Oct. 24.
In her first race for the new owner and new trainer Phil D’Amato, Charmaine’s Mia streaked to a 2 1/2 length win in the Las Cienegas in 1:07 4/5 for a career best 98 Beyer Speed Figure. It was her 5th win in 26 races.
DIDDLEY, owned by Domenic Dilalla, won a $12,500 claiming race at Aqueduct Jan. 9. This 7-year-old was popular at Woodbine in 2020, winning 3 of 5 races. He was claimed by Dilalla for $7,500 Oct. 30 and this was his second race for the owner of Centennial farms (Niagara).
Dilalla also had a recent win with Pinky Dude at Aqueduct and his horses in New York are trained by Wayne Potts, who also trains some horses there for Bruno Schickedanz.
BLAZING BOURBON, an Ontario-bred by Not Bourbon, won a non-winners of two claiming race at Charles Town Jan. 9 for owner/breeder Colebrook Farms. The four-year-old filly was 5 to 2 and favoured in her first race since November. John Carlisle trains.
Colebrook’s John Burness also had a winner Jan. 8 when EXECUTIVE RETREAT won a non-winners of 2 as the 8-to-5 favorite. Also by Not Bourbon, this gelding, a 5-year-old, had been third in his previous race at Charles Town.
Ontario-bred DESCENTE continued her amazing winning streak on Jan. 8 with another starter allowance victory at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old mare by Bodemeister – Work n Flirt by Street Sense won a 1 mile race for Peter Walder with an 86 Beyer Figure. It was her fourth straight win and seventh score in her last nine races. Descente was bred by Bernard and Karen McCormack.
RAFAEL HERNANDEZ, Woodbine’s 2020 leading jockey who was riding at Hawthorne at the end of 2020, had four mounts at Turfway Park on the weekend with a third-place finish.
Trainers Josie Carroll, Mike DePaulo, Bill Tharrenos and Gail Cox have been active at Gulfstream Park this winter. Cox starts a pair of Sam-Son farms’ maidens this coming week, SMALL TALK and SATURDAY SUN on Jan. 15.
Tharrenos will saddle morning line favourite DIVINE MARTHA on Jan. 14 in a $20,00 claiming race for owner Frank Russo.
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