Mi Negra Paula surged through the lane to register the biggest victory of her career

The Reflecting filly, a homebred for Stud-Haras Los Machitos, scored comfortably in the Clásico Etoile (L)

Mi Negra Paula proved strongest once she took command in the lane, drawing off to secure a decisive victory JUAN I. BOZZELLO

Mi Negra Paula (Arg) (Reflecting), a homebred for Stud-Haras Los Machitos, delivered the performance of her career Thursday at San Isidro when storming home to capture the day’s feature, the Clásico Etoile (L), notching both her first black-type success and the farm’s inaugural stakes victory.

Carrying 56 kilos under Francisco Lavigna, the 5-year-old mare turned the tables on Aiyanna (Arg) (Santillano), who had narrowly bested her last time in the Handicap Brilliantly at Palermo but could do no better than fifth this time.

Reserved early as Cold Mind (Arg) (Lucullan) set the pace, Mi Negra Paula advanced steadily around the turn, quickened sharply once straightened for home, and took command with 250 meters to run before drawing off convincingly to score by four lengths. Look Happy (Arg) (Hi Happy) checked in second, one length in front of Moon Scenery (Arg) (Puerto Escondido). The final time for 1200 meters on the dirt was 1:10.76, with fractions of :24.40 and :47.58.

Trained by Lucio Sancerni, Mi Negra Paula has now won five of 21 starts. She is one of only three foals to race by Reflecting, an Elusive Quality son out of G2 winner Daydreaming (A.P. Indy), making him a half-brother to GI winners Imagining (Giant’s Causeway) and Awakened (Curlin) (steeplechase), from the storied Phipps family of Intriguing (Swaps).

Mi Negra Paula is the first foal out of Mi Paula (The Leopard), herself a half-sister to G2 scorer Exmut (Mutakddim), from a long-standing Haras El Paraíso line.

With this breakthrough, Mi Negra Paula stamped herself as a mare to follow in Argentina’s female sprint division, especially with her favorable weight assignments.