Medaglia d'Oro

2nd-Saratoga, $105,945, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:05.14, ft, 6 lengths. SUGAR HI (f, 2, Twirling Candy--Laughing Matters, by Medaglia d'Oro) tipped her hand for trainer Bill Mott early off a series of quick drills and was subsequently slammed down from her 8-1 morning line into the 2-1 favorite's role for the first 2-year-old maiden race of the 2023 Saratoga meet. Picked up for just $180,000 out of last year's Keeneland September Sale, the bay broke with intent from her outside draw and was up to press the pace...

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 6f, 2:13 p.m. EDIFIED (Tapit), a half-brother to GI La Brea S. winner Constellation (Bellamy Road), makes his afternoon debut Saturday for owner Courtlandt Farms and trainer Steve Asmussen. A $650,000 yearling purchase out of Keeneland September last autumn, the colt is out of the stakes-winning mare For Royalty, who brought a final bid of $2.1m from Summer Wind Equine at the 2017 Keeneland November Sale. For Royalty is herself a half-sister to champion imported 2-year-old colt in Puerto Rico El Viento (El Corredor) and GSW/GISP...

In this continuing series, we take a look ahead at US-bred and/or conceived runners entered for the upcoming weekend at the tracks on the Japan Racing Association circuit, with a focus on pedigree and/or performance in the sales ring. Here are the horses of interest for this weekend running at Chukyo, Fukushima and Hakodate Racecourses: Saturday July 1, 2023 5th-HAK, ¥13,780,000 ($95k), Newcomers, 2yo, 1200mT DONA NOBLE (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--Gender Agenda {GB}, by Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) cost JS Company $200,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and is...

4th-ELP, $120K, Msw, 3yo/up, f, 1 1/16mT, 2:13 p.m. Racing for the same connections that bred, owned, and trained her leading young sire, RESOURCE (Gun Runner) makes her afternoon debut as a homebred for Winchell Thoroughbreds under the watchful eye of trainer Steve Asmussen. Out of a multiple stakes-winning mare in Remit (Tapit), herself a full-sister to MGSW/GISP Tapiture and SW/GSP Retap, the chestnut filly is a half-sister to both MGSW Finite (Munnings) and MSW/GSP Reride (Candy Ride {Arg}). Opposing her is a pair from the outside gates led by...

2nd-ELP, $120K, Msw, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:14 p.m. Two high-priced maidens will kick off their careers at Ellis Park Thursday. BC Stables paid $1.35 million for DAILY GRIND (Medaglia d'Oro) at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling sale. Trained by D. Wayne Lukas, the bay colt is out of SW Walk Close (Tapit), who also produced his full-brother Anneau d'Or, second-place finisher in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Lambo (Uncle Mo), trained by Steve Asmussen, brought $950,000 from the Heiligbrodts and Jackpot Farm at OBS March after posting a :10 flat...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- In a division still crying out for a clear-cut leader, a full field of sophomore fillies will take centerstage in a deep renewal of Friday's GI Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs. Trainer Brad Cox will have three chances, including the top two choices on the morning-line, to collect a third Oaks trophy following wins with Monomoy Girl in 2018 and Shedaresthedevil in 2020. After sweeping the Oaklawn Park series for 3-year-old fillies, Godolphin homebred and 5-2 Oaks morning-line favorite Wet Paint (Blame) shoots for a fourth straight...

Nine more juveniles have been catalogued for Arqana's upcoming Breeze-Up Sale on May 13. Among them is a granddaughter of group winner Sea Of Heartbreak (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) by Sea The Stars (Ire) (lot 186); lot 187, a colt by Mehmas (Ire) from the family of Classic winner Resless Kara (Fr) (Akarad {Fr}); Too Darn Hot (GB)'s lot 191, a colt out of a sister to Group 1 winner Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk); and a colt out of Grade I winner Lady Speightspeare (Speightstown) by Calyx (GB) (lot 194)....

In most respects, the years have passed very lightly over Don Robinson. He remains vigorous and full of verve. But the one thing he really hasn't clung onto is the hair he wore as a teenager in the 1970s, when shaking the Bluegrass from his feet and embracing an alternative lifestyle in Northern California. "Oh man, the hair," he says. "Depending who you talk to, it just gets longer every time. It really wasn't that long. Probably over my collar. But they love to tell the story that it was...

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...