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Romagna Mia Tests Win Streak in La Prevoyante (G3)
1/22/2024
5YO Mare Chasing Third Straight Stakes Victory Saturday
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL — Romagna Mia will be seeking her third win in as many starts as she leads a field of nine fillies and mares to post Saturday in the $150,000 La Prevoyante (G3) presented by Ketel One Espresso Martini at Gulfstream Park.
The 5-year-old mare has hit the board for trainer Graham Motion in all three of her North American starts after the British-bred daughter of Mastercraftsman raced in France with moderate success. Since coming to the U.S. in August of last year, Romagna Mia finished third in her debut in the Beverly D (G1) then followed with a pair of wins.
Her most recent win came in her last outing Dec. 26 at Gulfstream, where she posted a seven-length victory in the 1 ½-mile Via Borghese in a race that was taken off the turf. Prior to that, she posted a three-length score in the Dowager (G3) Oct. 22 at Keeneland.
Romagna Mia is one of two runners Motion will send out in the La Prevoyante, scheduled for 1 ½ miles on the grass. Sister Otoole has also finished within the top three in her last three starts, with her most recent win coming Nov. 23 as she closed to finish a game third in the Red Carpet (G3) at Del Mar. Her previous win came Aug. 18 at the same track as she posted a 1 ¼-length win in the CCT and TOC Stakes.
Motion, who will be looking to capture his fifth win in the La Prevoyante and his first since 2020, has tapped Hall of Famer John Velazquez to ride Romagna Mia. Velazquez has ridden the mare exclusively since she arrived in North America. Oisin Murphy will be aboard Sister Otoole for the first time Saturday.
A winner in her last four starts, R Calli Kim figures to provide a stiff test for the Motion duo. A 7-year-old daughter of Revolutionary, R Calli Kim’s most recent win came Nov. 12 in the Long Island (G3) at Aqueduct as she posted a 2 ½-length victory. Prior to that win, the Brendan Walsh pupil registered an allowance win over the Keeneland grass at 1 ½ miles. Jose Ortiz, who piloted R Calli Kim to the win in the Long Island, will again ride in the La Prevoyante.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who rode Personal Best to victory in last year’s race, will try and duplicate that feat aboard Sensitivity on Saturday. The 5-year-old by Street Sense will be stepping up in class for trainer Jose D’Angelo and owner Tami Bobo in the La Prevoyante. She was last seen notching a 1 ½-length win in an allowance race Nov. 25 at Tampa Bay Downs.
Similarly, Anatolian steps outside of the allowance ranks on Saturday. Trained by Mike Maker, the daughter of Not This Time is coming off a pair of main-track wins. The 5-year-old will have Tyler Gaffalione aboard Saturday for her stakes debut and her first race on grass since July 26.
Tass enters the La Prevoyante after finishing a well-beaten second to Romagna Mia in the Via Borghese. In August of last year, the 8-year-old daughter of Temple City was claimed by Flying P. Stable and moved to the barn of Jorge Abreu. Since that time, the mare has finished no worse than third in her four starts. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will be in the irons for the fourth straight time.
Viva La Red will be making her next start in the La Prevoyante after finishing 8 ¼ lengths behind Tass in the Via Borghese to claim third. The daughter of Texas Red took a step up in class in that race and will be seeking her second career victory on Saturday. Regular rider Vincent Cheminaud will be aboard Viva La Red, who is trained by Patrick Biancone.
Alpha Bella, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, is fresh off a third-place finish in the Tropical Park Oaks Dec. 23 at Gulfstream. The 4-year-old daughter of Justify will be stretching out to 1 ½-miles under Luis Saez.
Highland Grace returns to Gulfstream Saturday for the first time since last March. The 4-year-old daughter of 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah has raced exclusively in New York since then, with her most recent outing a third-place finish in the Sands Point (G2) Oct. 14 at Aqueduct. Flavien Prat gets the call for trainer Barclay Tagg.