Romagna Mia (Keeneland Photo)
Keeneland Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky.— Team Valor International’s Romagna Mia (GB) went to the front before the eighth pole and drew off to post a 3-length victory over Transient (GB) in the 32nd running of the $260,025 Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3) for fillies and mares Sunday afternoon.
Trained by Graham Motion and ridden by John Velazquez, Romagna Mia completed the mile and a half on a firm turf course in 2:29.87. It is the fourth win in the race for Motion and second for Velazquez.
Motion’s previous victories came with Humaita (GER) in 2004, Kitten’s Point in 2015 and Blame Debbie in 2020. Velazquez, who won his third graded stakes of the Fall Meet, previously won the race in 2017 on Apple Betty (IRE).
Henrietta Topham led the field through opening fractions of :24.45 and :48.76 with Vergara and Transient in closest pursuit. On the backstretch, Transient closed in on Henrietta Topham and those ran 1-2 to the top of the stretch where Transient took over.
Transient’s advantage was short lived as Romagna Mia quickly closed in with a four-wide bid and took over before midstretch and pulled away.
A Group 2 winner last year in Italy, Romagna Mia improved her record to 12-4-2-1 and with Sunday’s check of $151,125 improved her earnings to $363,304. She is a 4-year-old daughter of Mastercraftsman (IRE) out of the Rip Van Winkle (IRE) mare Washington Blue.
Sent off as the favorite in the field of seven, Romagna Mia returned $6.76, $4.54 and $3.24. Transient returned $4.74 and $3.12 under Tyler Gaffalione and finished a head in front of Loved Reiko, who paid $6.26 to show under Julien Leparoux.
It was another 2½ lengths back to Lovely Princess with Vergara, Henrietta Topham and Personal Best following in order.
Quotes from the Rood & Riddle Dowager (G3)
John Velazquez (winning rider of Romagna Mia-GB)
“I knew she was not going to break. 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. I was following (jockey) Brian (Hernandez Jr. on Lovely Princess). She was one of the horses to beat and he still had ahold of his horse, so I got to the outside of him on the backstretch.
“I was like, ‘Let me force the pace a little bit maybe. I can force the pace a little bit with (Hernandez).’ 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 (pole), she straightened and she went on and ran away from the horses.”
Tyler Gaffalione (rider of runner-up Transient-GB)
“My trip was good. I got a nice stalking position, the filly relaxed good for me. Coming into the stretch, she kicked on. The ground got to her a little bit, but she fought hard to finish second. She had every opportunity – it just wasn’t our day.”
Julien Leparoux (rider of third-place finisher Loved Reiko)
“It’s big to get her first stakes placing. She is a one-pace filly, so I got her to relax the first part of the race. I had to make my move wide, but that’s the way she wants to be to get going pretty early in the race. She kept going, and she fought to the end and ran a big race.”
Racing resumes Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. ET with an eight-race program. Keeneland will offer a Pick 6 carryover of $54,575.69.
The 17-day Fall Meet concludes Saturday, Oct. 28.
