Medaglia d'Oro

Nostalgic (Medaglia d'Oro) added to a banner day for Godolphin with an upset score over even-money favorite and Busher Invitational S. romper Venti Valentine (Firing Line) in Aqueduct's GIII Gazelle S. Saturday. Godolphin and Nostalgic's trainer Bill Mott also teamed up to win the GI Carter H. one race earlier with Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Additionally, Sheikh Mohammed's operation won Keeneland's GIII Commonwealth S. with homebred 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro). Venti Valentine broke alertly and went straight to the front with fellow NY-bred, 9-5 second-choice and 'TDN Rising...

'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence made the grade Saturday with a good-looking score in the Commonwealth at Keeneland. Away well from post 10, the bettors' second choice raced in a joint second as favored fellow 'TDN Rising Star' Nashville zipped through an opening quarter in :22.12. The bay turned up the heat on the chalk a bit through a :44.61 half-mile and they turned for home on even terms. Nashville threw in the towel at the top of the stretch, fading fast to the back of the field, but Prevalence had...

by Jessica Martini & Christie DeBernardis HALLANDALE BEACH, FL - A diverse buying bench vied for a select offering of juveniles during a rapid-fire three hours under the sunshine at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale Wednesday afternoon. A filly from the first crop of Bolt d'Oro brought the day's highest bid when selling for $1.2 million to Spendthrift Farm. Consigned by Tom McCrocklin, the youngster was one of two to bring seven figures during the auction. Jamie McCalmont, bidding on behalf of Coolmore's M.V. Magnier, went to $1.1 million to acquire...

By Stefanie Grimm Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 5th-GP, $60K, Msw, 3yo, F, 1m, 3:09 p.m. Making her first career start Wednesday for owner Whisper Hill Farm is I'M BAFFLED (Medaglia d'Oro), a 3-year-old purchased by Mandy Pope for $1.1 million from Denali Stud at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The striking bay filly is out of the GSP Distorted Humor mare Baffled, making her a half-sister to GIW and current Winstar stallion Constitution (Tapit) along with respective graded-stakes winners Jacaranda (Congrats) and Boynton (More Than Ready). Baffled herself,...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 4th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 2:01p.m. ET Beautifully bred and sporting the royal Godolphin blue, LOVED (Medaglia d'Oro) will be unveiled by Brendan Walsh, a conditioner well-versed with her family as the trainer of the filly's half-brother, MGISW and new Darley sire Maxfield (Street Sense). Out of a daughter of Caress (Storm Cat), Loved hails from the female family of leading sires Bernstein (Storm Cat) and Sky Mesa (Pulpit), as well as MGSW & GISP Golden Velvet (Seeking the Gold), the dam of two...

Evidently she's no Busher, to look at. Between 2011 and 2018, in fact, she changed hands four times as a pregnant mare at Keeneland, her value gradually declining until the late Mike Recio was able to purchase her for just $13,000. The previous evening, Recio had called Dan Zanatta, founding/managing partner of Final Furlong Racing with Vince Roth, and announced: "Tomorrow morning, I'm buying you a broodmare." Zanatta was not enthused. Final Furlong was evolving nicely, syndicating New York-bred fillies. Though they did have one broodmare, apart from pinhooking weanlings,...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Katierich Farms, a boutique breeding farm owned by Larry and Karen Doyle and located in Midway, Kentucky. Katierich president George Barnes said the farm not only boards and breeds for clients, but is also focused on developing their own high-quality broodmare band for the commercial market. ENHANCING (m, 14, Forestry--Heavenly Prize, by Seeking the Gold), to be bred to Blame Enhancing is a daughter of...

In this edition of our ongoing mating plans series, we spoke with Marie Jones with additional notes from Katie Taylor and Doug Cauthen. Marie Jones is carrying on the successful breeding program that she first started with her late husband Aaron. Their program is responsible for Grade I winners and champions including Ashado, Speightstown, Drosselmeyer and Mrs. McDougal, as well as the dam of Life is Good. Today, her high-end, boutique operation focuses on acquiring accomplished, well-bred mares and maintaining a portfolio of shares and breeding rights in proven commercial...

Whisper Hill Farm homebred Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) got out of a jackpot just in time Saturday to come out on top of Gulfstream's GIII Kitten's Joy S. exacta for the en fuego Todd Pletcher barn. Royal Spirit (Into Mischief) was second best, while favored Coinage (Tapit)--making his first start since finishing ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf--settled for third after showing the way. Second in his Belmont unveiling to next-out GIII Futurity S. winner Slipstream (More Than Ready) in October, Grand Sonata donned cap and gown around...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Robert Slack of Stoneriggs Farm near Paris, Kentucky. BAJAN GIRL (m, 5, Speightstown--Dazzling {Ire}, by Galileo {Ire}), to be bred to Curlin We purchased this mare out of a 2-year-old sale in Ocala, and raced her. She was multiple graded stakes placed before we retired her to Stoneriggs. She is by Speightstown, one of my very favorite sires, and out of Dazzling, who herself was...

With the 2022 breeding season right around the corner, we will feature a series of breeders' mating plans over the coming weeks. Today we have Andrew Cary, bloodstock agent for Coteau Grove Farms. MISS HOT LEGS (m, 6, Verrazano--Expo Gold, by Johannesburg), to be bred to Medaglia d'Oro Miss Hot Legs is one of our top mares. She's a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to the superstar Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil). We purchased her for $500,000 as a broodmare prospect at Keeneland November 2020. Miss Hot Legs herself was a very fast and...

La Crete (Medaglia d'Oro--Cavorting, by Bernardini), a half-sister to one of last year's 3-year-old filly stars in Clairiere (Curlin), threw her own hat into the ring with a dogged win in the Silverbulletday S. at Fair Grounds as the current sophomore filly embers begin to flare on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Bumping with Sweet as Pie (Tapit) at the break, La Crete made the lead with Fannie and Freddie (Malibu Moon) tracking in second. La Crete stayed in front through :24.50 and :48.79 fractions, but drifted out...