Medaglia d'Oro

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yof, 1mT, 11:30 p.m. Gulfstream Park's packed Florida Derby Day card includes a pair of turf events for 3-year-old runners that are worth a look. Hinkle Farms homebred OGEMA BAY (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for Shug McGaughey with Luca Panici in the irons. Her dam Madame Du Lac (Lemon Drop Kid) produced two-time GI Woodford Reserve Turf Classic victor Divisidero (Kitten's Joy). Also prepped for a rookie start is GLORIA'S PRINCESS (Cairo Prince) from the stable of Brendan Walsh. Ridden by Luis Saez,...

Undefeated since announcing her arrival to Turfway Park with a 10 3/4-length romp to break her maiden last November, Botanical followed that performance up with two more jaw-dropping efforts at a mile on the tapeta including a last-out win in the Cincinnati Trophy S. Mar. 4. Off that race, which earned her a 91 Beyer Speed Figure, Botanical was slammed in even-money favoritism for her fourth straight Turfway appearance. Given the extra sixteenth to work with, the bay showed a good turn of foot from the blocks to set the...

Ballet Dancing earned her first stakes victory in style, skipping clear to an authoritative victory in the GIII Santa Ana S. at Santa Anita Sunday. Stretching out to a 1 1/4 miles for the first time, the bay filly was away well and was in hand while stalking pacesetting longshot Annaghlasa (Ire) (Estidhkaar {Ire}) through fractions of :24.01, :47.22 and 1:12.07. Finally let loose into the far turn, she ricocheted to the lead off the turn and was quickly beyond the reach of all pursuers. Favored Australia Mia (Street Sense),...

With commercial sires nowadays represented by such enormous cavalries, it's unsurprising that they should encounter random statistical clusters. These tend to even themselves out, so that a stallion that "hits form" with a sudden spate of stakes performers will also endure barren spells that naturally receive rather less attention. What every farm covets, then, is for a horse to get on a roll while there are still mares out there with mating decisions pending for this spring--and there's no better way to do that than making some noise on the...

Since 2004, we've shined the spotlight on over 1,500 'TDN Rising Stars' worldwide, recognition given to a horse early on its career who has done something so impressive on the racetrack that our team believes they will go on to become graded stakes winners.  A horse is designated as a 'Rising Star' by the TDN staff after a careful and comprehensive review of many factors--including the quality of the field, margin and time of victory, pedigree, sales price and more. Over the years, it has become a badge of honor...

3rd-Aqueduct, $70,000, (S), Msw, 2-17, 4yo/up, 1m, 1:39.47, sy, 8 1/2 lengths. SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS (g, 4, Medaglia d'Oro--Khancord Kid {GSW, $167,343}, by Lemon Drop Kid), picked up for $300,000 as a yearling at Keeneland September in 2020, took his time making the races but made his belated debut at 2-1 over a sloppy New York track Friday. Poised just off the lead after enduring contact at the break, the well-related gelding sat a wide trip, chasing three wide up the backstretch as Central Pride (Lord Nelson) paced the...

As we approach the opening of the 2023 breeding season, the TDN staff is once again sitting down with leading breeders to find out what stallions they have chosen for their mares, and why. Today we caught up with JCB Stables' Ezequiel Cesar Valle, who represents the aforementioned American branch of Haras Firmamento, one of the largest farms in Argentina. MAID OF HONOR (6, Medaglia d´Oro--Lovely Regina, by Deputy Minister), to be bred to Street Sense We bought five mares at the last Keeneland November Sale, and she was the...

Golden Sister (Aus) (Capitalist {Aus}), a 3-year-old half-sister to dual Hong Kong Horse of the Year, seven-time Group 1 winner and $16-million earner Golden Sixty (Aus), will be bred to the latter's Darley America-based stallion Medaglia d'Oro to Northern Hemisphere time in 2023. The news was confirmed by Denys Chan, agent for All Winners Thoroughbreds, who purchased the filly for A$425,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2021, and Darley's Darren Fox. Like Golden Sixty, Golden Sister was bred by the Hutchins family's Asco International Pty Ltd....

At the close of 2022, Turfway Park's Holiday Meet concluded with jockey Gerardo Corrales, trainer Paulo Lobo and Larry Best's OXO Equine winning their respective titles. Corrales tabbed 30 wins from 104 mounts--a stout 29% win clip. His mounts tallied $1,115,484 in purse earnings. Corrales' meet was highlighted by a victory in the $125,000 Prairie Bayou Stakes aboard the Lobo-trained In Love (BRZ) (Agnes Gold {Jpn}). The 26-year-old rider also won the $125,000 Holiday Inaugural Stakes aboard Ready to Venture (GB) (Kingman {GB}). Corrales finished eight wins in front of...

It is beginning to feel as ingrained a New Year ritual as the concert in Vienna: the raising of a toast not just to another record year for Into Mischief, but to the way his reign has become an apt symbol of our times. After all, the whole point of marking the turn of a year-it's just another leaf in the calendar, really, just one more sunrise in the indefinite (but never infinite!) sequence we are apportioned-is to take a step back and see whether we can discern a fresh...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 9th-TAM, $27K, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:33 p.m. Facing a full field of 13 from the inside gate, JUST THE SKY (Justify), a homebred for Eurowest Bloodstock with her freshman sire's (by Scat Daddy) connections John Gunther also involved, stretches out over the grass for trainer Chad Brown. Out of a half-sister to MGSW & MGISP Honorable Duty (Distorted Humor), Just the Sky traces back to broodmare of the year Toussaud (El Gran Senor), herself the dam of MGISW & late sire Emire Maker...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 6th-AQU, $85k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1m, 2:14p.m. ET Manzanita Stables LLC went to $300,000 at KEESEP in 2021 to acquire LUCKY COMBINATION (Ghostzapper), a price tag likely aided by her dam being out of a half-sister to GISW & MGISP Girolamo (A.P. Indy) and his full-siblings MGISP & MGSW Daydreaming and GISP Accelerator. Dam Lucky Number herself claims GISW Got Lucky (A.P. Indy)--responsible for MGSP Overtook (Curlin)--as a half-relation and has produced two other winning fillies. This is the female family of GISW Chocolate Gelato...