Tuscan Gold A New ‘Rising Star’ For Medaglia d’Oro

Tuscan Gold (Medaglia d'Oro) debuted with an educational–if a bit troubled–fourth-place effort behind sales-topping stablemate and 'TDN Rising Star' Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) and fellow seven-figure seller Change In Command (Into Mischief) going a mile at Aqueduct Nov. 4. Sierre Leone did his part to validate the effort with a near-miss second in the GII Remsen S., while Change of Command has since won twice, including a Jan. 5 allowance at this track, and Tuscan Gold will presumably get his chance to further frank the form after being named a 'TDN Rising Star' himself Wednesday afternoon.

A somewhat surprising 8-5 second choice behind three-start maiden Skip the Line (Into Mischief–Bubbler) at 11-10 and getting Lasix for the first time, Tuscan Gold was toting the Gary Broad/Walmac silks this time around after debuting in the Lawrence colors and was trapped out five deep rounding the first turn while niggled along to keep pace by Tyler Gaffalione. Able to shift in to save some ground midway up the backstretch, the $600,000 Keeneland September grad was soon back into the bridle and was all the way up into third rounding the second bend. Looking a bit one-paced as he tried to get to front-running Skip the Line approaching the stretch, Tuscan Gold was popped the question in earnest and ran away impressively before galloping out with good energy.

Stonestreet bred Tuscan Gold from their very talented Valadorna (Curlin), runner-up to Champagne Room (Broken Vow) in the 2016 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile and–appropriately enough–third in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at three. A listed winner at the tail end of that season, she posted a career-high in the GIII Hilliard Lyons Doubledogdare S. at four in 2018.

A half-sister to former Chad Brown Grade I winner Complexity (Maclean's Music), Valadorna is also represented by a 2-year-old colt by Uncle Mo and a yearling colt by Tapit. Valadorna was not bred in 2023. Tuscan Gold is a 33rd 'Rising Star' for his recently turned 25-year-old stallion.

7th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-31, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:46.42, ft, 6 1/4 lengths.
TUSCAN GOLD, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam:  Valadorna (GSW & GISP, $670,265), by Curlin
2nd Dam: Goldfield, by Yes It's True
3rd Dam: Folly Dollar, by Digression
Sales history: $600,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $47,100.  Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-William H Lawrence, Walmac Farm & Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

 

 

The post Tuscan Gold A New ‘Rising Star’ For Medaglia d’Oro appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Medaglia d’Oro Filly Delahaye Impressively Wires Gulfstream Allowance

5th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1$X), Opt. Clm ($25,000), 1-31, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/16mT, 1:40.88, fm, 1 1/4 lengths.
DELAHAYE (f, 4, Medaglia d'Oro–Bella Carina, by War Front) sat a no-cover trip three and four wide on her debut over this course last February, but jockey Javier Castellano lost the crop with judgment day approaching and the filly went down to a narrow defeat behind the future MSP Love Appeals (Speightstown). Away for 8 1/2 months thereafter, the $550,000 Keeneland September yearling raced more prominently in an Aqueduct maiden and shot clear late to graduate by a handy 3 1/4 lengths at 65 cents on the dollar when last seen Nov. 5. Favored here at an arguably overlaid 9-10 and carrying the Three Chimneys colors for the first time, Delahaye tugged her way to the front without expending much energy and led her rivals along through sedate fractions of :24.01 and :48.92. Castellano sat hard against Delahaye around the turn, cut the ribbons once heads were turned for home and she easily held sway to the wire. She covered her final 2 1/2 furlongs in :28.20 and sprinted the final sixteenth in a very slick :5.50. Delahaye is the ninth winner worldwide from 11 runners bred on this cross, a number that includes the stakes winners Ticker Tape Home and Golden Canary. Ben Leon's Besilu Stables acquired the stakes-winning second dam Grand Prayer (Grand Slam) in foal to Medaglia d'Oro for an even $1 million from the Ned Evans dispersal at Keeneland November in 2011, a little more than a year after the mare's daughter Malibu Prayer (Malibu Moon) won the GI Ruffian H. for Evans and Mark Hennig. Grand Prayer's value appreciated further still when her Medaglia d'Oro foal of 2010, Valid, became a three-time graded winner and Grade I-placed on the dirt. Malibu Prayer is also the dam of the MGSP Grand Love, whose sire Gun Runner is out of Quiet Giant (Giant's Causeway), a $3-million purchase by Besilu from the same dispersal. Leon also paid a sales-topping $8.5 million for champion Royal Delta (Empire Maker). Bella Carina is the dam of a 2-year-old Not This Time colt that was bought back on a bid of $350,000 at Keeneland September last fall and a yearling colt by Gun Runner. She was not bred last season. Sales history: $550,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 3-2-1-0, $104,650. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-William H Lawrence & Three Chimneys Farm; B-Three Chimneys Farm LLC (KY); T-Chad C Brown.

 

The post Medaglia d’Oro Filly Delahaye Impressively Wires Gulfstream Allowance appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Mating Plans, Presented By Spendthrift: Chip Montgomery And Haymarket Farm

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Haymarket Farm's Chip Montgomery.

“I've always been enamored with the deep pedigrees of the stalwarts of the industry and have gravitated recently to granddaughters, etc. of Personal Ensign, My Flag and Storm Flag Flying,” said Montgomery. “About once a quarter, I will put on the video of the 1988 Breeders' Cup Distaff to hear Tom Durkin's call of Personal Ensign's nose win against Winning Colors to retire undefeated.   It's an honor to own several fillies and mares with this royal blood in their veins, and makes me proud to be a Kentuckian!”

BLESSING THE FLAG, 6, (Distorted Humor–Fly the Flag, by Giant's Causeway). To be bred to Medaglia d'Oro.

We bought her as a yearling and made $130,000 but couldn't win a race!  As a maiden, we will breed her to Medaglia d'Oro as this cross works very well, not only in the population in general, but also within her family (Vigilantes Way and Major Dude, among others).

FLY THE FLAG, 17, (Giant's Causeway–My Flag, by Easy Goer). To be bred to Upstart or Annapolis.

Honoring our investment in stallion shares here as she's in foal to Upstart (bred like Zandon and Trademark) and will likely go back to Upstart or possibly Annapolis.

STAND FOR THE FLAG, 8, (Super Saver–Raise the Flag, by Awesome Again). To be bred to Proxy.

A winner of $290,000, we bought her as a broodmare prospect and she is in foal to Olympiad and going to Proxy. Both good crosses and beautiful animals!

WYCHWOOD, 8, (Tale of the Cat–Queens Wood, by Tiznow). To be bred to Street Sense.

A daughter of a GI-producing mare, she has already produced our homebred stakes winner Cats inthe Timber (Honor Code) as her first foal. Barren this year, she will be bred to Street Sense, needing that size and two-turn power.

QUEENS WOOD, 16, (Tiznow–Salon Prive, by Private Account). To be bred to Forte.

The queen herself, currently in foal to Jackie's Warrior, will be bred to Forte, a proper cross and a powerful two-turn hopeful.

CTIMENE, 15, (Consolidator–Persimmon Hill, by Conquistador Cielo). To be bred to Mitole.

A half-sister to GI producer Once Around, she had a breakthrough stakes winner this past year with Katonah (Klimt) and is being bred to Mitole. A big, course mare, she will benefit from Mitole's sprinter physique.

GOOD TOHAVE AROUND, 4, (Good Samaritan–Ctimene, by Consolidator). To be bred to Yaupon.

A more elegant rendition of her mother, as a maiden, will be bred to the magnificent looking Yaupon.

Interested in sharing your own mating plans? Email garyking@thetdn.com.

The post Mating Plans, Presented By Spendthrift: Chip Montgomery And Haymarket Farm appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

History Astride As Pegasus Card Promises Once Again To Slay Graded Weekend

Named for the owner, an immigrant from Scotland who realized a Carnegie-kind of American Dream, it began as a 12-furlong turf race. Five years later in 1964 it was cut back to nine and moved to the dirt.

The roll call of Donn H. winners through 2016 at Gulfstream Park reflects a roster of unique equine and human personalities, which is peppered with some magnificent performances that shouldn't be forgotten.

Hall of Fame jockey Braulio Baeza won his first of three victories in 1969 aboard Funny Fellow and took home his last Donn with Foolish Pleasure in 1976.

One of the greats, Forego, captured the 1974 race. There was Deputy Minister in 1983. The legendary Cigar grabbed back-to-back races starting in 1995 for a trainer with the last name of Mott, who is still collecting accolades and giving sound speeches without notes.

And who could forget the haul by Todd Pletcher with his first Donn win in 2003 which was authored by Harlan's Holiday.

Speaking of sires, futures breeding shed stars like Medaglia d'Oro, Quality Road and Constitution, all got their picture taken after winning the Donn.

As we know, the race was renamed and its history placed on a dusty shelf. Instead of drawing from the near and visceral past, it was time to extract strength from a famous mythological winged horse slaying a dragon. Second in size stateside to only the Statue of Liberty, the completed 2014 edifice ominously guards the entrance of Gulfstream, presides over the Donn's demise and welcomes those attending Pegasus World Cup Day.

On Saturday, another edition arrives as the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. anchors a card which sports six other graded events. Looking to join the likes of Arrogate (who won the first Pegasus), Gun Runner and Life Is Good, are a dozen suitors and an also-eligible.

National Treasure schooling | Lauren King

Out of these, National Treasure (Quality Road) is the clear class leader. The Bob Baffert trainee won last year's GI Preakness S. and ended his 3-year-old campaign as the runner-up in the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile to newly-minted Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin).

One of National Treasure's primary rivals, who is drawn right next to him, is Godolphin homebred GSW First Mission (Street Sense). Trained by Brad Cox, the dark bay missed last year's Triple Crown, but he has the potential to be a major player within the 2024 Classic division.

“It couldn't have gone better so far,” said Cox assistant Trace Messina. “He shipped in here early Tuesday morning and had a good gallop over the track Wednesday and another good gallop Thursday.”

First Mission was second in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs last November. Both the winner of that race, Trademark (Upstart), and the third-place finisher, Il Miracolo (Gun Runner), also received a Pegasus invite.

Il Miracolo's trainer Antonio Sano said, “The horse has been doing very well after the [last] race. Right now, the horse is very excited and in good condition. He worked two times with [jockey Javier] Castellano and I hope to run well. I think there are four horses that show speed in the race. I hope we can find room behind the speed for the horse to close.”

As for the rest of the field, it includes Mineshaft's own GISW Hoist the Gold and MGSW Senor Buscador (who ran first and second in the GI Cigar Mile), plus the Iavarone's MGSW O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) and that 7-year-old's Saffie Joseph stablemate MGSW Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator).

The Undercard Takes to the Turf

The rest of the Gulfstream slate has an intriguing lineup. In the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational S., trainer Aidan O'Brien sends GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf runner-up Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) back to America. Since missing by a neck to newly-crowned champion female turf horse Inspiral (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the filly was third in the G1 Hong Kong Vase at Sha Tin in mid-December.

Warm Heart workout | Ryan Thompson

Last year's winner, Atone (Into Mischief) returns, along with the undefeated MGSW Integration (Quality Road), who picks up rider Tyler Gaffallione for Kendrick Carmouche.

West Point Thoroughbreds executive vice president Tom Bellhouse said about Integration's development, “He's as exciting a horse as we've had. He's just a super exciting horse. It took him a while to really get rolling and find his stride. If you look back, he had a lot of works and a lot of base. Shug [McGaughey] was always, 'I like this horse.' He's rewarded all the confidence Shug had in him. To win the race at Colonial [Downs] first time out and to come back a little less than four weeks later and win the Virginia Derby the way he did, it was spectacular. I was lucky enough to be at Aqueduct for the Hill Prince S. and it was one of those races that was never in doubt. It was really an amazing performance.”

A trio of graded turf races help to round out the Pegasus Day card. First among them is the Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, which moved up a spot to become a Grade II race. Star Fortress (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), the market leader at 5-2 here, made her U.S. debut a winning one by 10 lengths for trainer Cherie DeVaux in the GIII Cardinal S. at Churchill Downs last November. Chief among her rivals will be veteran 6-year-olds like GISW Queen Goddess (Empire Maker), MGSW/MGISP Fluffy Socks (Slumber {GB}) and MGSW/GISP Didia (Arg) (Orpen).

As an ode to the Donn's origins, also on the docket are a pair of grass distance tests at 12 furlongs–the GIII La Prevoyante S. and the GIII W.L. McKnight S.

Graded dirt races do make an appearance with the GII Inside Information S. for older females at seven furlongs, which is led by local favorite GSW/GISP Maryquitecontrary (First Dude). Also, older males traveling a mile in the GIII Fred Hopper S. will look to challenge morning-line favorite Hejazi (Bernardini), who was the runner-up in the GI Malibu S.

Heading West

Finally, the graded train also makes Saturday stops at Sam Houston Race Park and Santa Anita Park. H-Town hosts the GIII Ladies Houston Classic S. and the GIII John B. Connally Turf Cup, while the 'Great Race Place' has its own nine-furlong test on the dirt in the GII San Pasqual S.

 

The post History Astride As Pegasus Card Promises Once Again To Slay Graded Weekend appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

Source of original post

Verified by MonsterInsights