Charmaine’s Mia heads Royal Heroine Stakes on turf

Fresh off of a pair of dominating turf wins, trainer Phil D’Amato’s Charmaine’s Mia heads a solid field of eight older fillies and mares going one mile on turf in Saturday’s Grade II, $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita.

First post time for a blockbuster 12-race card on Runhappy Santa Anita Derby Day, Saturday, is at 12 noon.

Previously headquartered at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Charmaine’s Mia, in her first start for D’Amato was a rousing 2 ½ length winner of the Grade III Las Cienegas Stakes going six furlongs on turf Jan. 9 while dismissed at odds of 16-1.

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, Charmaine’s Mia is a 5-year-old mare by top sprinter The Factor out of the Bernstein mare Charming Vixen.  With Flavien Prat riding her back, she figures to be a short price to annex her third consecutive stakes win and improve upon an overall mark of 27-6-4-2.

Trained by Craig Lewis, Ben and Sally Warren’s homebred Warren’s Showtime has been a gem of consistency, compiling an overall mark of 17-6-1-8 while amassing earnings of $593,431.  Patiently handled by Juan Hernandez in the Grade II Buena Vista, she found her best stride late while finishing third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths by Charmaine’s Mia.