BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Stakes-placed twice in the fall at Gulfstream Park, Florida-bred Vita Mia looks for her first added-money victory when she returns to the Hallandale Beach oval on New Year’s Day in the $175,000 Cash Run. Seven 3-year-old fillies will go one mile in the Cash Run with Vita Mia competing for $25,000 in Florida-bred Incentive Fund money included in the purse.

With a career record of one win and three seconds in six starts, Vita Mia has earnings of $82,360 for owner Steven Screnci.

Two of her seconds came against stakes fillies at Gulfstream Park.

She was less than a length behind Florida-bred winner Willow Case in the $75,000 Hallandale Beach going a mile on Sept. 26 and then second to Spirit Doll over a mile on turf in the $75,000 Our Dear Peggy on Oct. 25. Trainer Armando De La Cerda then took her to Churchill Downs for her last race where she finished sixth in Bella Ballerina’s Grade 2 Golden Rod at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on Nov. 29.

Bred in Florida by Ponder Hill Farm, Vita Mia is by Engage out of Distorted Sunrays, by Drosselmeyer. She was purchased by De La Cerda for $40,000 out of the Ordonez Thoroughbreds consignment at this year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

Junior Alvarado will ride Vita Mia from post one and they are 6-1 on the morning line.

Secane, who exits a third to Shilling in the $145,000 Tempted going a mile at Aqueduct on Nov. 6, is the morning line favorite at 8-5.

Saffie Joseph Jr. trains the bay daughter of Audible for Final Furlong Farm and Madaket Stables, for whom she has earned $42,000 in two starts. She won a seven-furlong maiden special weight for fillies by nearly eight lengths at Gulfstream on Aug. 15. 

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Secane from post seven.

Completing the field are Haute Diva with David Egan taking the call, Blazing Brat and jockey Edgard Zayas, Dunmore Beach with John Velazquez in the saddle, Jaime Torres rides Nycon and Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Jetty’s Home.

Return to the December 30 issue of Wire to Wire