Charmaine's Mia's change in style pays off in Buena Vista

ARCADIA, Calif. - Charmaine’s Mia is as effective as a stalker as she is as a pacesetter in graded stakes on turf for fillies and mares at Santa Anita this year.

Charmaine’s Mia won the Grade 3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on Jan. 9 by disputing the pace throughout. In Saturday’s Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes at a mile, Charmaine’s Mia stalked pacesetter Bohemian Bourbon to early stretch and won by a length over the Grade 1 winner Mucho Unusual.

The winning style was not the game plan, according to jockey Flavien Prat.

From the start, Prat urged Charmaine’s Mia toward the front, but settled in second through the first furlongs in pursuit of Bohemian Bourbon.

“I was very impressed with how quick she was,” Prat said. “To be honest, I was going to make the lead.”

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Bohemian Bourbon led through fractions of 22.65 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 45.93 for a half-mile, but could not sustain the advantage. Prat moved Charmaine’s Mia to the front with a two-wide move on the turn. By then, Charmaine’s Mia was in a comfortable position.

“I tried to get her to relax,” Prat said. “She did on the backstretch. When I got her to the front on the turn, she got a nice breather.”

Mucho Unusual, the winner of the Grade 1 Rodeo Drive Stakes here in September, closed from fifth to finish second under jockey Abel Cedillo.

“I had the perfect trip,” Cedillo said. “They went fast. I just followed the winner, but she kept going.”

Sent off favored, Charmaine’s Mia ($4.60) was timed in 1:33.93 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 99.

Mucho Unusual, who won the Grade 3 Megahertz Stakes at a mile on turf on Jan. 18, was the 7-2 second choice and finished three-quarters of a length in front of Warren’s Showtime, the 5-1 third choice and a multiple stakes winner.

Going to Vegas finished fourth, followed by Red Lark, Sloane Gardens, Heathers Grey, Bohemian Bourbon, and Sedamar.

Charmaine’s Mia, a 5-year-old mare by The Factor, has won 6 of 27 starts and has earned $352,976. The Las Cienegas and $202,000 Buena Vista Stakes are Charmaine’s Mia’s first two starts for the partnership of Agave Racing Stable and Rocking Robin Racing Stables and trainer Phil D’Amato.

Charmaine’s Mia previously raced for owner and trainer Michael McDonald until October.

Prat had an outstanding day Saturday, winning three of the nine races and continuing a remarkable run over the last 10 days that has pushed him to the top of the jockey standings at the current winter-spring meeting.