Ria Antonia meets Streaming in Rachel Alexandra

Ria Antonia, elevated to first in last fall's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies,

will make her three-year-old debut at Fair Grounds Saturday in the Grade 3,

$200,000

Rachel Alexandra, a 1 1/16-mile prep for next month's Fair Grounds Oaks.

Making her first start with blinkers in the Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita, Ria

Antonia outran expectations when dueling with She's a Tiger for the win in the

final sixteenth. Though she wound up missing by a nose in a photo, a majority of

the stewards felt there was sufficient illegal contact from She's a Tiger in the

final yards to warrant her disqualification.

Ria Antonia got the glory of victory, her first in a stakes after unplaced

finishes in the Frizette at Belmont Park and the Swynford at Woodbine, though

She's a Tiger's campaign was more accomplished and resulted in her receiving the

Eclipse Award as champion two-year-old filly.

Untapable, third to Streaming in the Hollywood Starlet, was far more

effective on dirt when taking the Pocahontas at Churchill Downs in September.

From there she contested the Breeders' Cup, but was virtually eliminated around

the far turn when checked out of the race to avoid a fallen rival.

Got Lucky, second in the Demoiselle at Aqueduct as a maiden in November,

graduated last time in the slop at Gulfstream over a one-turn mile, and figures

to progress more for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The locally-based talent with experience over the track includes Express

Model and Army, third and fourth, respectively, in the $120,000 Silverbulletday

last time, and Shanon Nicole, who beat allowance foes by more than four lengths

last time in her first ever race on dirt.

Mister Marti Gras, a multiple Grade 3 winner last seen finishing second in

the Hawthorne Gold Cup, is likely to make his season debut here, though he and

Ground Transport were cross-entered in the Grade 3, $150,000

Fair Grounds

Handicap at about nine furlongs on the turf.

The probable favorite in the Fair Grounds is Daddy Nose Best, who has won

four of his past five stakes appearances, including the Buddy Diliberto Memorial

and Colonel E.R. Bradley Handicap over the local sod.

Gentleman's Kitten, a stellar 6 1/2-length victor over third-level allowance

foes on January 9, heads an opposition that also features 2013 Dixie winner

Skyring, River City Handicap upsetter Potomac River, and the allowance-class

Unitarian and Hard Aces.