By Alan Carasso
Silk Racing Co. Ltd.'s Ria Olivia (Jpn), a 2-year-old daughter of the all-conquering Deep Impact (Jpn) and the first foal from 2013 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Ria Antonia (Rockport Harbor), has been declared for her racetrack debut in a 1600-meter newcomers event over the turf course Saturday at Hanshin Racecourse.
A six-length maiden winner at second asking over the Woodbine synthetic track, Ria Antonia was subsequently acquired by Ron Paolucci's Loooch Racing and Christopher Dunn and crossed the line second in the Juvenile Fillies, only to be put up to the victory upon the disqualification of She's A Tiger (Tale of the Cat). She was runner-up in the 2014 GI Santa Anita Oaks and GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at three before being purchased for $1.8 million out of that year's Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Mated to the all-conquering Deep Impact in each of her first three years at stud, Ria Antonia produced Ria Olivia Jan. 7, 2016 and foaled another filly Feb. 21, 2017. Both have been retained by the Yoshida family, but the mare's colt, foaled this past Feb. 9, was hammered down to Hajime Satomi's Satomi Horse Company Limited for ¥290 million (about US$2,615,800) to top the JRHA Select Foal Sale on the island of Hokkaido July 10.
Ria Olivia, who will be ridden by leading jockey Mirco Demuro, is one of three fillies in a field of 12 for Saturday's fifth race and is one of three in the race for her sire, who is also represented by a son of US Grade II winner My Jen (Fusaichi Pegasus), a half-sister to champion and MG1SW Caravaggio (Scat Daddy).
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
