Charmaine's Mia ($35.40) finds first stakes triumph in Las Cienegas

ARCADIA, Calif. - Charmaine’s Mia broke so well in Saturday’s Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita that jockey Drayden Van Dyke quickly changed his mind on race tactics.

“She broke like a rocket,” Van Dyke said. “I was going to play the break. She was so comfortable I wasn’t going to take that away from her.”

Instead of potentially stalking the leader, Charmaine’s Mia ($35.40) disputed the pace through an eventful opening quarter-mile, took control at the end of the backstretch and won by 2 1/2 lengths over even-money favorite Jolie Olimpica.

Charmaine’s Mia and Jolie Olimpica avoided the trouble that led to jockey Joel Rosario being unseated from 5-2 second choice Oleksandra shortly after the start. Oleksandra clipped heels with Superstition after a chain reaction in which Lighthouse drifted out, causing Superstition to shift out and move slightly into the path of Oleksandra.

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Lighthouse finished third, but was disqualified to an unplaced position in a majority decision by stewards Ron Church, Luis Jauregui, and Kim Sawyer.
Superstition was promoted from fourth to third and was followed by Bohemian Bourbon.

Jolie Olimpica closed from the back of the field to finish a nose in front of Lighthouse. Jolie Olimpica won the 2020 Las Cienegas. Saturday’s race was her first start since a second to Rushing Fall in the Grade 1 Jenny Willy Stakes at Keeneland last July.

Oleksandra ran at the back of the field after Rosario was unseated. Rosario was quickly on his feet and was taken to first aid for a precautionary examination. Rosario did not ride the final race, and was cleared by the first aid department within 45 minutes, track officials said.

Charmaine’s Mia ran six furlongs on turf in 1:07.81, the fastest clocking at the distance since Santa Anita introduced six-furlong turf races that begin on a backstretch chute. The new layout was first used on Dec. 26.

Charmaine’s Mia earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 98.

The $99,000 Las Cienegas Stakes for fillies and mares was Charmaine’s Mia’s first stakes win, first start in California and first start for Agave Racing Stable and trainer Phil D’Amato. A 5-year-old mare by The Factor, Charmaine’s Mia was previously owned and trained by Michael McDonald.

Last summer at Woodbine, Charmaine’s Mia ran in three graded stakes. Her best performance in that span was a fourth by a neck in the Grade 2 True North Stakes for fillies and mares at six furlongs in July.