Charmaine's Mia Aims for More Success in Buena Vista

After securing the first graded stakes win of her career in her previous start, Charmaine's Mia will look for some consistency when she faces an expected nine other fillies and mares in the $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes (G2T) Feb. 20 on the turf at Santa Anita Park.

Campaigned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, Charmaine's Mia ended an eight-race losing streak when she opened a two-length lead halfway through the six-furlong Las Cienegas Stakes (G3T) Jan. 9 at Santa Anita and cruised to a 2 1/2-length score in that turf sprint. On Saturday the 5-year-old daughter of The Factor  will stretch out to one mile for just the second time in her career.

Trained by Phil D'Amato, Charmaine's Mia has worked four times since her victory, including a five-furlong move on Valentine's Day on the Santa Anita training track completed in 1:00 2/5, earning the bullet.

Charmaine's Mia, with the meet's leading rider (by wins, through Feb. 17) Flavien Prat aboard, has been installed as the 3-1 morning-line favorite. A turf sprinter for the bulk of her career, she was eighth in her lone start at a mile in March 2019.

Among the challengers awaiting Charmaine's Mia are a pair of 4-year-old fillies trained by Richard Baltas in Nasty, who closed out 2020 with a front-running victory in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes on the meet's opening day; and Going to Vegas, who finished second in the American Oaks (G1T) on that same card.

Baltas believes Nasty again figures to contest the early lead Saturday.

"She's got a lot of speed; she's a nice filly," Baltas said of the 4-year-old daughter of Street Sense  who is campaigned by LNJ Foxwoods. "She'll be running against older horses in the Buena Vista, so hopefully she can make the step up."

Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and My Racehorse's Going to Vegas, a daughter of Goldencents , has finished second in three straight graded stakes in turf races at a mile, 1 3/8 miles, and 1 1/4 miles.

"I don't know what her (best) distance is," Baltas said. "I think a long distance is very good for her as well, but her numbers are pretty good going a mile, too."

Second-choice at 7-2 on the morning-line is the George Krikorian homebred Mucho Unusual, who has won three of her past four starts with all three of those wins coming in graded stakes on the Santa Anita turf in last year's Rodeo Drive (G1T) and Robert J. Frankel (G3T) before opening her 5-year-old campaign with a score in the Megahertz (G3T).

The California-bred daughter of Mucho Macho Man  will try for the sixth stakes win of her career and look to add to her $822,715 in career earnings.

Entries: Buena Vista S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 20, 2021, Race 7

• Grade IIT
• 1m
• Turf
• $200,000
• 4 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 3:46 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Bohemian Bourbon (KY)	Jose Valdivia, Jr.	120	Michael W. McCarthy	20/1
2	2Mucho Unusual (CA)	Abel Cedillo	124	Tim Yakteen	7/2
3	3Warren's Showtime (CA)	Juan J. Hernandez	122	Craig Anthony Lewis	5/1
4	4Nasty (KY)	Ricardo Gonzalez	120	Richard Baltas	6/1
5	5Red Lark (IRE)	Drayden Van Dyke	122	Patrick Gallagher	8/1
6	6Sedamar (CA)	Ruben Fuentes	120	Shelbe Ruis	8/1
7	7Going to Vegas (KY)	Mario Gutierrez	120	Richard Baltas	6/1
8	8Charmaine's Mia (KY)	Flavien Prat	120	Philip D'Amato	3/1
9	9Sloane Garden (GB)	Tiago Josue Pereira	120	Manuel Badilla	12/1
10	10Heathers Grey (KY)	Jessica Pyfer	120	Sean McCarthy	20/1