My Miss Aurelia getting a breather at Florida farm

ARCADIA, Calif. – My Miss Aurelia, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2011, has been sent to co-owner Barbara Banke’s Florida training center for a springtime break and physical evaluation, co-owner George Bolton said on Friday.

Bolton said that My Miss Aurelia is likely to resume racing this summer, with the goal of a campaign in the second half of 2013.

My Miss Aurelia finished third as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 3 Azeri Stakes over 1 1/16 miles at Oaklawn Park on March 16.

“Maybe something is bugging her,” Bolton said. “We want to get her happy. At this point, she seems healthy.

“Our thought is she’s a little off mentally and maybe a little off physically. We haven’t found anything [wrong] physically. I expect her to run this summer. With such a long year, we can give her some R and R for 30 days.”

Trained by Steve Asmussen, My Miss Aurelia, by Smart Strike, has won 6 of 9 starts and $2,437,000. She won her first six starts, including the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill Downs in 2011 and the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing at Philadelphia Park last September.

My Miss Aurelia has lost her last three races – a second in the BC Ladies’ Classic at Santa Anita in November, a third in the Grade 1 La Brea Stakes at Santa Anita in December, and the loss in the Azeri. My Miss Aurelia was beaten 5 1/2 lengths by Tiz Miz Sue in the Azeri after racing within a length of the lead with a furlong to go.

“I think we ran on a deep racetrack,” Bolton said. “It seemed to suit the locals.

“She’s now lost three races in a row, so we’ve sent her to Barbara’s training center to refresh her.”