Potential Star Jolie Olimpica Leads Buena Vista

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Potential Star Jolie Olimpica Leads Buena Vista
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Jolie Olimpica wins the Las Cienegas Stakes at Santa Anita Park

Jockey Mike Smith has ridden many high-achieving fillies and mares over his Hall of Fame career, regularly handling champions Midnight Bisou, Royal Delta, Songbird, Sky Beauty, and Zenyatta. Now, he's stocking up for 2020.

Midnight Bisou remains in training and is overseas preparing for the $20 million Saudi Cup Feb. 29, and here in the U.S., Smith is loaded with opportunities as the rider of one-eyed wonder Hard Not to Love and Jolie Olimpica, a group 1 winner in her native Brazil and the favorite Feb. 22 over Carressa and Lady Prancealot in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) going one mile on the Santa Anita Park grass course.

Three-for-3 in Brazil, Jolie Olimpica was bought by Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farms after a victory in the Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasileiro (G1) and then strutted her stuff for her new trainer, Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. In her first start in America, she won the Jan. 11 Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) at Santa Anita at 5 1/2 furlongs on grass.

The 4-year-old daughter of Drosselmeyer sped the distance in a course-record 1:01 over a trip only in use since the fall after Santa Anita suspended sprints down its hillside turf course.

Video: Las Cienegas S. (G3T)



"The best part of the race was running underneath the wire, to be honest with you," Smith said after the race. "She galloped out well within herself, she wasn't winded at all. She should get a mile for sure any day."

Her Grande Premio Jockey Club Brasileiro came at 1,600 meters (about a mile), and she was strong at the finish, pulling away by six lengths after stalking the pace three wide.

Carressa and Lady Prancealot are other last-out graded stakes winners at the Santa Anita meet. Carressa captured the Jan. 20 Megahertz Stakes (G3T) under Victor Espinoza in her first attempt on turf and in stakes, and Lady Prancealot was victorious in the Dec. 28 American Oaks (G1T), a race that came against 3-year-old competition.

The 12-horse Buena Vista is 4-year-old Lady Prancealot's first start outside her age group.

Eastern-based jockey Joe Bravo will travel to Santa Anita for the mount. He rode her to win the Oct. 18 Pin Oak Valley View Stakes (G3T) at Keeneland and was again aboard in the American Oaks.

Lady Prancealot, a daughter of Sir Prancealot , races for Craig and Josie Arntz, Donald Durando, Jules and Michael Iavarone, and Jerry McClanahan. She is trained by Richard Baltas.

The John Shirreffs-trained Carressa, an Uncle Mo  4-year-old filly, is also owned by numerous partners: Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David and Dorothy Ingordo, and Steve Mooney.

The scheduled post time for the Buena Vista, the fifth race on a nine-race card, is 2:29 p.m. PT under a threat of rain. As of midafternoon Feb. 20, the National Weather Service forecast an 80% chance of showers from Friday night into Saturday in Arcadia, Calif.

Del Mar and Santa Anita canceled race days in the final months of 2019 when heavy rain hit the Southern California area. Tracks in the region are proceeding cautiously in how they approach wet conditions after racing and training over wet, sealed tracks was listed as one of many factors that could have contributed to a spike in breakdowns at Santa Anita last spring.


Entries: Buena Vista S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 22, 2020, Race 5

  • Grade IIT
  • 1m
  • Turf
  • $200,000
  • 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
  • 2:29 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L
1 1Jolie Olimpica (BRZ) Mike E. Smith 122 Richard E. Mandella 8/5
2 2Carressa (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Victor Espinoza 122 John A. Shirreffs 4/1
3 3Muchly (GB) UMBERTO RISPOLI 120 Simon Callaghan 15/1
4 4Mucho Unusual (CA)Keeneland Sales Graduate Joel Rosario 122 Tim Yakteen 8/1
5 5Sold It (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Mario Gutierrez 120 Doug F. O'Neill 50/1
6 6Meal Ticket (FL)Keeneland Sales Graduate Tiago Josue Pereira 120 Matthew Chew 15/1
7 7Brill (KY) Geovanni Franco 120 Don Chatlos 12/1
8 8Lady Prancealot (IRE) Joe Bravo 124 Richard Baltas 5/1
9 9Super Patriot (CA) Ruben Fuentes 120 Richard Baltas 12/1
10 10La Sardane (FR) Flavien Prat 120 Neil D. Drysdale 12/1
11 11Keeper Ofthe Stars (KY)Keeneland Sales Graduate Abel Cedillo 122 Jonathan Wong 20/1
12 12Tiny Tina (KY) Drayden Van Dyke 120 Philip D'Amato 15/1