KINGSTON, Jamaica - MAMMA Mia, one of the leading contenders heading into the Classic series of races, especially for fillies, made a successful three-year-old debut on Ash Wednesday (February 22, 2023).
Mamma Mia, trained by champion conditioner Jason DaCosta, led from start to finish in a dominating effort during the $1.09-million Restricted Stakes for imported three-year-olds and upwards (non-winners of three) and native-bred three-year-olds (non-winners of four) over six and a half furlongs (1,300m). Mamma Mia won by 5½ lengths ahead of stablemates Fred The Great and Tekapunt in a time of 1:20.4 (23.4 x 47.1 x 1:13.0).
“It was a very good performance from Mamma Mia to win here, coming off a layoff. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that performance. .
“We gave her a rest after the two-year-old campaign and then got ready now for the start of the three-year-old campaign. As to future plans, we will see how Mamma Mia comes out of the race first, then we will decide where we will go from here,” DaCosta said in his post race interview.
As the starting gates opened to send the small field of six runners on their way, Mamma Mia shot to the front under jockey Reyan Lewis and held the lead ahead of Rejected Raja (Shavon Townsend) and stablemates Tekapunt (Roger Hewitt), She’s My Friend (Daniel Thompson), and Fred The Great (Robert Halledeen) down the backstretch.
Going into the half-mile turn, Mamma Mia increased her lead ahead of Rejected Raja, with Fred The Great getting into the mix. Turning for home and looking very strong on the headline, Mamma Mia wasted no time as she skipped away to register her third career win from five starts.
Mamma Mia is a three-year-old chestnut filly bred by Soul Warrior out of the Royal Minister mare Princess Geeta. She is bred by S&D Stables and owned by champion Carlton Watson.
