By Alan Carasso
Whisper Hill Farm's Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) saved ground when it mattered most, slipped through inside with less than a quarter mile to race and kept on nicely to cause a 15-1 upset in Saturday's GII Kentucky Turf Cup at Kentucky Downs. The victory earns the homebred a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar on Nov. 2.
Drawn widest in a field scratched down to nine with the late withdrawal of Ballydoyle's Chief Little Rock (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the homebred slotted into about sixth position through the opening exchanges as defending champion Get Smokin (Get Stormy) was pressed along through fractions of :23.65 and :47.53 by California raider Balladeer (Distorted Humor).
Quietly ridden down the back of the track as the pace up front remained nearly unsustainable, Grand Sonata was shuffled back to the latter third of the field with a half-mile to go and was guided down towards the fence by Tyler Gaffalione. Content to ride for luck passing the quarter pole, Grand Sonata got through a hole at the fence as the front-runners began to feel the pinch and retreat. Although the progressive Highway Robber (Hard Spun) emerged as a late threat, he couldn't quite get there, as Grand Sonata reported home to the most valuable victory of his career.
Tawny Port (Pioneerof the Nile) was given every conceivable chance by Flavien Prat, but could do no better than third, while favored Integration (Quality Road) struck some mild late trouble and finished fourth.
“He is a horse that has knocked on the door on numerous occasions,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, winning his first race of the meet. “He has run well at Kentucky Downs. He is a hearty horse, and he came out of the last race in good shape. We kind of thought, 'you know what? Maybe we'll take a chance and run him back in a couple weeks. He got a beautiful trip today.”
Runner-up in the GIII Dueling Grounds Derby here in 2022, Grand Sonata won a one-mile Saratoga allowance last August, but had struck out in seven subsequent tries. Second in Aqueduct allowance company May 17, he was eighth in a blanket finish in the GIII Monmouth Stakes June 15 and just missed to Get Smokin in what has become a key renewal of the GII United Nations Stakes at the Jersey Shore June 20. He was never truly a factor in Saratoga's GI Sword Dancer Stakes Aug. 24, but a reasonably quick back-up proved no issue on Saturday.
Pedigree Notes:
A daughter of the Grade III-winning juvenile filly Moonlight Sonata, A.P. Sonata is a half-sister to GIII Indiana Derby winner Wilburn (Bernardini), GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa); SW La Appassionata (Bernardini), the dam of GSP 'TDN Rising Star' Fort Warren (Curlin); and the dam of GSW Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro).
Mandy Pope paid $1.1 million for A.P. Sonata at Keeneland September in 2022 and Grand Sonata is the only starter and winner for the mare, who passed away in 2019.
Saturday, Kentucky Downs
FANDUEL TV KENTUCKY TURF CUP S.-GII, $1,995,000, Kentucky Downs, 9-7, 3yo/up, 1 1/2mT, 2:24.93, fm.
1–GRAND SONATA, 122, h, 5, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: A. P. Sonata, by A.P. Indy
2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $1,195,200. Lifetime Record: 23-5-6-2, $2,057,635. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Highway Robber, 124, g, 4, Hard Spun–Yabba, by Lemon Drop Kid. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($65,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $30,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Jim and Susan Hill; B-Foxpointe Thoroughbreds (KY); T-Brian A. Lynch. $392,000.
3–Tawny Port, 122, h, 5, Pioneerof the Nile–Livi Makenzie, by Macho Uno. ($430,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Peachtree Stable; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Christophe Clement. $196,000.
Margins: HF, 1, 2HF. Odds: 15.39, 4.49, 6.14.
Also Ran: Integration, Anglophile, Cathkin Peak (Ire), Get Smokin, King Curlin, Balladeer. Scratched: Chief Little Rock (Ire), Sugoi.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
🎼#10 GRAND SONATA ($32.78) was perfectly tuned today in the $2 million @FanDuelTV Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) at @KYDownsRacing!
The @whisper_hill homebred was ridden by @Tyler_Gaff for @PletcherRacing. pic.twitter.com/wNWRXWazku
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) September 7, 2024
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