Romagna Mia surges for Dowager Stakes triumph

LEXINGTON - Romagna Mia was coming off a solid effort in her U.S. debut in a race that has come back strong. Given that context, she was bet down to favoritism for her second outing stateside, and lived up to that billing by winning the Grade 3, $300,000 Dowager Stakes on Sunday on the Keeneland turf.

Italian Group 2 winner Romagna Mia ($6.76), making her first start shortly after joining the Graham Motion barn, was third in the Grade 1 Beverly D at Colonial in August. The winner, Fev Rover, has since also captured the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor at Woodbine, while runner-up Gina Romantica came back to win another Grade 1 at Keeneland, the First Lady. Both are considered Breeders’ Cup candidates.

In her second outing for Motion, Romagna Mia was unhurried early by John Velazquez. She was sixth in the field of seven after the opening half-mile before beginning to gradually improve her position.

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“I knew she was not going to break,” Velazquez said. “I rode her already, and she is very slow from the gate. I didn’t want to be too far back. On the other hand, I didn’t think the pace was going to be as hot as it was. I know I was comfortable enough where I was. As soon as we got past the wire the first time, she got into the bridle.”

Meanwhile, up front, Henrietta Topham, who typically rallies from farther back, had taken initiative to try to seize the race on the front end, and was still leading at the one-mile point in 1:39.49, but was being hounded by Transient on her hip.

Turning into the stretch the final time in the marathon race, Transient took over as Henrietta Topham began to beat a steady retreat. Romagna Mia was still fifth, but less than two lengths back. Roused by Velazquez, she found her best stride nearing the furlong grounds, and quickly cleared for a three-length win. Behind her, Transient held second by a head over Loved Reiko.

“I know my horse takes a little bit to get going, so I wanted to put her in the clear and keep her going forward. [Owner Barry Irwin of Team Valor International] kept telling me, ‘She stays all day. She stays all day.’ So I just had that in my head. She’s going to stay all day, so I’m going to put the pressure on and hope she keeps going that way. When she came to the three-sixteenths, she straightened and she went on and ran away from the horses.”

The final time for the 1 1/2 miles on turf officially rated firm was 2:29.87.

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