Wild Mia looks strong in turf allowance

Tom Proctor was hoping early this week that Keertana would get to run in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and Banned in the BC Juvenile Turf. In the meantime, like many other trainers with Breeders’ Cup prospects, Proctor was busy tending to the rest of his herd at Churchill Downs, including another potential stakes horse, a 3-year-old filly named Wild Mia.

Wild Mia is part of an overflow field entered in a $51,000, second-level turf allowance that serves as the nominal feature on a nine-race Thursday program at Keeneland in Lexington, Ky.

“We tried to run her in the Valley View last week but couldn’t get her in,” Proctor said. “So here we are.”

Proctor said he believes Wild Mia should be able to get through her second allowance condition sooner than later, although the fillies and mares she will face Thursday are considerably better than what she defeated in clearing her first condition when she was a 2-5 favorite on the Arlington Park turf. In any case, Wild Mia has never run a bad race on turf, and she clearly will be a major contender when Freddie Lenclud climbs aboard her for the eighth race Thursday.

Proctor, 54, is on the verge of another career-best year in terms of earnings. Last year, his stable earned more than $2.47 million, the most for the Texas native since he began training in 1978, and into this week, the total for 2010 already was more than $2.14 million.

The main threats to Wild Mia appear to be Aquitaine, second in a restricted stakes at Delaware Park last out; Firey Red, for the ever-dangerous team of Garrett Gomez and Christophe Clement; and Sweetest Song, fresh from a layoff for trainer Carl Nafzger.

In all, 14 were entered, but only as many as 12 can start.

Two races earlier, trainer Steve Margolis holds a strong hand with the Klein family-owned entry of Country Day and Early Return in a $53,000 classified allowance at 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Other logical players in a field of 10 include Zoeling and A Diehl.

Thursday marks the third-to-last card of the 17-day Keeneland fall meet, which ends Saturday with the Grade 2 Fayette Stakes. First post daily is 1:15 p.m. Eastern.