Charmaine's Mia will shorten up, face males in Eddie D Stakes on opening day

Charmaine’s Mia began 2021 with three consecutive graded stakes wins in turf races at six furlongs and a mile at Santa Anita only to follow that success with sixth-place finishes in two important races in the spring and summer.

The versatile 5-year-old’s season will change again this fall when she starts for the first time on Santa Anita’s unique hillside turf course and faces males in the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on Oct. 1, opening day of the track’s five-week autumn meeting.

The result of the $200,000 Eddie D Stakes against males will determine whether the partnership of Agave Racing, Medallion Racing, and Rockin Robin Racing Stable and trainer Phil D’Amato pursue a start in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, or start Charmaine’s Mia in lesser races.

“We could have Turf Sprint aspirations if she runs 1-2-3 in this race,” D’Amato said Friday.

Earlier Friday, Charmaine’s Mia worked a half-mile in 48.60 seconds on Santa Anita’s infield dirt training track.

Santa Anita announced earlier this month that hillside turf races will be used for sprints on a limited basis this fall. The course has not been used for sprints since March 2019 following a two-horse accident in the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes that resulted in a fatality.

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Often a pacesetter, Charmaine’s Mia’s won three stakes from early January to early April, but was sixth as the 9-10 favorite in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on May 31 at Santa Anita and sixth in the Grade 2 Yellow Ribbon Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Aug. 7 at Del Mar.

“The other day, if we had to do things over, we would have changed our tactics,” D’Amato said. “We tried to rate her on an anti-speed track and it blew up in our face.

The Eddie D Stakes is expected to draw a sizable field, including stablemate Gregorian Chant, a two-time stakes winner at Santa Anita earlier this year who was third behind Lieutenant Dan in the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf on Aug. 21 at Del Mar.

Friday, Gregorian Chant worked a half-mile on the infield training track in 48.60 seconds at the same time as Charmaine’s Mia, but not in the same workout.

Santa Anita has 13 six-figure stakes during the opening three days of its meeting that are preps for Breeders’ Cup races.

The Oct. 1 program includes the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes for 2-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles. The winner receives a fees-paid berth to the BC Juvenile at the same distance on Nov. 5.

Finneus, second in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity at seven furlongs, is a candidate for the $300,000 American Pharoah. Friday, Finneus worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at the San Luis Rey Downs training center, and galloped out six furlongs in 1:11.80, according to trainer Walther Solis.

“All along, I’ve thought he will be a better horse going long,” Solis said. “He showed that in the Futurity, that made a difference.”

Finneus closed from fifth to finish second to Pinehurst by 4 1/2 lengths in the Del Mar Futurity.

Pinehurst is one of eight colts trained by Baffert nominated to the American Pharoah. Baffert did not return a phone call seeking comment on which of his prospects are candidates for the race.

“Baffert is loaded,” Solis said. “We’ll see what we can get.”

Friday, Baffert worked two of his nominees five furlongs at Santa Anita – Corniche in 1:00 and Rockefeller in 59.80 seconds. Both won maiden races in their only starts at Del Mar.

Forbidden Kingdom, a maiden race winner in his debut on Aug. 21 at Del Mar, worked six furlongs in 1:12.80 for trainer Richard Mandella and is a likely runner in the American Pharoah.

Grace Adler, winner of the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante for Baffert on Sept. 5, worked five furlongs in 1:00.80 for an expected start in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 1.