Harmonious reappears in Royal Heroine

by Kellie Reilly

Over the Fourth of July weekend in 2010, Harmonious joined the big leagues

with a victory in the Grade 1 American Oaks at Hollywood Park. One year after

that powerful stakes debut, the John Shirreffs filly seeks to kick-start her

career anew in Monday's Grade 2, $150,000 Royal Heroine Mile over the same turf

course.

Unlike last summer, when Harmonious was definitely on the upswing, this time

she enters off a nearly five-month layoff, and bids to halt a three-race losing

streak. Following her imperious conquest in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II

Challenge Cup at Keeneland last October, she suffered her worst career defeat

when 10th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf.

Harmonious returned in the Grade 2 Robert J. Frankel on New Year's Day at

Santa Anita, where she was compromised by a dawdling early pace and rallied late

to miss by a nose. Next experimenting with dirt in the February 13 Grade 2 La

Canada, Harmonious failed to sparkle on the new surface and finished a tiring

third, well beaten by both Always a Princess and Blind Luck.

Shirreffs wasn't satisfied with her subsequent training and decided to

freshen the strapping filly. Harmonious recorded her first work back, an easy

half-mile, on June 7, and has followed up with three five-furlong drills.

Although Harmonious brings a perfect three-for-three local mark into the

Royal Heroine, she is also cutting back to a flat mile for the first time since

her maiden win, and as the 123-pound highweight, she'll be spotting six pounds

to each of her rivals. Regular rider Joel Rosario will guide the stalker from

post 2.

Her most dangerous opponent could be Celtic Princess (Brz), the controlling

speed, who nearly wired the May 30 Grade 1 Gamely going nine furlongs at

Hollywood. The former Brazilian Horse of the Year shortens up one furlong here

and warrants respect with a returning Rafael Bejarano. The A.C. Avila mare

figures to clear the field early from the outside post 6.

Wild Mia used to show early foot for Tom Proctor, but the gray has been

reserved off the pace in her last three outings. Making her Hollywood debut in

the course-and-distance prep, the June 5 Redondo Beach S., she closed from near

the back to deny Andina (Ire) by a neck. Monday's pace might not be quite so

hot, however, and it wouldn't be a total shock to see Wild Mia keep tabs on

Celtic Princess early.

Givine (Fr) should produce a striking change of gear late. The Julio Canani

filly flew to catch Separate Forest by a half-length in the six-furlong Great

Lady M. Stakes here, and is entitled to enjoy the added ground. Givine was

mostly campaigned at a mile in her native France, winning four times and twice

placing in stakes versus useful foes. Moreover, Canani has said that Givine

reminds him of her sire, Blackdoun (Fr), whom he trained to sweep the Grade 2

Del Mar Derby, Grade 2 La Jolla and Oceanside Stakes in 2004. Joe Talamo picks

up the mount aboard the up-and-comer.

The Grade 2-placed Andina, fourth to Harmonious in last year's American Oaks,

has scored all three of her wins at a mile. Late Cuddle (NZ), the winner of a

second-level allowance at Hollywood in October, was last seen finishing seventh

in the February 21 Grade 2 Buena Vista. The Jerry Hollendorfer mare will take

the blinkers off for the holiday feature.