Gran Mirella, a G1 winner in Argentina, makes her U.S. debut this Tuesday

Winner of the 2024 Gran Premio Selección de Potrancas (G1) at La Plata, she will run in an allowance optional claiming race at Horseshoe Indianapolis

Gran Mirella, La Plata’s top 3-year-old of 2024, faces new challenges / HLP

SHELBYVILLE, Indiana (Special for Turf Diario).- The season continues to unfold, and top Argentine horses are gradually making their presence felt on U.S. tracks, aiming to build momentum toward major races.

Following a solid third-place finish by Ayra Stark (Cosmic Trigger) just hours ago at Colonial Downs, the dirt at Horseshoe Indianapolis will now welcome Gran Mirella, one of Argentina’s standout fillies from 2024.

Winner of the Gran Premio Selección de Potrancas (G1) at La Plata in her final start at home, the Dabster filly will line up in Tuesday’s fifth race, a $62,500 allowance optional claiming event offering a purse of $49,680 over 1600 meters (one mile).

Owned by Koji Maeda and trained by Riley Mott, the chestnut drew the outside post (7) and will be ridden by Martin Pedroza Jr., opening at 6-1 on the morning line, the fourth choice. Normandy Queen (Omaha Beach), who had been favored, has scratched, leaving Gran Mirella to face five rivals. She will race on Lasix for the first time in her career.

Gran Mirella returns from more than nine months on the sidelines. In addition to her G1 victory, she was runner-up in the Carlos Casares (G3), Pedro E. y Manuel A. Crespo (G3), and Precoces Final, third in the Gran Premio Jorge de Atucha (G1), and fourth in the Gran Premio de Potrancas (G1).

She makes her U.S. debut off a string of sharp works, including 800m drills in :49, :49, and :48.60, plus 1000m in 1:01.40 and a final tune-up in :49.20.

Her main threat appears to be Pretty Sassy (Medaglia d’Oro), a Godolphin homebred trained by Brendan Walsh, who enters off back-to-back wins at Fair Grounds after a debut fifth at Churchill Downs, though she hasn’t raced since February.

Another with strong credentials is Night Kiss (Midnight Lute), a nine-time winner whose latest success came over this same track and class level. Peruvian rider Fernando de la Cruz has the mount.

Finally, Itzforever (Forever d’Oro) is also listed at 6-1 and brings six career victories to the table, along with several minor stakes placings.