Carina Mia

Carina Mia broke her maiden in her second try at Keeneland in October 2015 and followed that up with her first graded stakes win, a victory in the Golden Rod Stakes at Churchill Downs the following month.

She was then given several months off and returned at Keeneland in April but finished fourth in the Grade 1 Central Bank Ashland Stakes. Her connections regrouped and sent her to Churchill Downs for the first Friday in May, where she dominated the Eight Belles Stakes rather than trying Grade 1 company in the Kentucky Oaks. On Belmont Stakes day she rolled to victory in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes, defeating Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia and eventual Grade 1 winners Off the Tracks and Paola Queen.

Carina Mia next faced the top 3-year-old filly Songbird in the Coaching Club American Oaks in July at Saratoga, where she challenged on the turn but ultimately finished second, well-beaten by Songbird but four lengths ahead of her other competitors. She then finished a game third in the Grade 1 Ballerina Stakes on the Travers Stakes undercard at Saratoga after contesting a fast early pace, and followed that up with another respectable runner-up finish against Songbird in the Grade 1 Cotillion Stakes at Parx Racing. She closed her season with an unplaced finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint.

In her 2017 debut, Carina Mia finished third in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff Stakes on the Kentucky Derby undercard. She then finished fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps Stakes in June before winning a listed stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 2. Carina Mia then tested Grade 1 company again in the Ballerina Stakes on Aug. 26 at Saratoga and finished third behind By the Moon and Highway Star. In her next start, she took the lead in early stretch but could not hold off Highway Star, losing by a neck in the Grade 2 Gallant Bloom Handicap. Shipped to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, Carina Mia made a threatening rally in midstretch but hung late and finished third behind upset winner Bar of Gold and Ami’s Mesa.

Carina Mia is a daughter of top sire Malibu Moon out of the Argentinian mare Miss Simpatia. She was a $410,000 purchase at the Keeneland sale as a yearling.