Only Bob Baffert has accrued more prize-money earnings than Donnacha's father Aidan O'Brien in the 39 previous runnings of the Breeders' Cup, with the Irishman's 16 winners having contributed towards a haul of more than $30 million. Brother Joseph O'Brien, too, has his name on the board with one winner from five starters to date. That success, in the Breeders' Cup Mile also at Santa Anita back in 2019, came with Iridessa (Ire) (Ruler Of The World {Ire}), whose success was followed up in the same race the next year by her half-brother Order Of Australia (Ire) (Australia {GB}), trained by Aidan. 

What made those two victories all the more special was the fact that the siblings were bred by Aidan and Annemarie O'Brien under their Whisperview Trading banner, and now it is the turn of his Donnacha to attempt to secure another Breeders' Cup winner for his parents as breeders with Porta Fortuna (Ire) (Caravaggio). More importantly, however, the filly will be carrying the hopes of a large number of American owners in the Juvenile Fillies Turf on Friday.

“We've been coming to the Breeders' Cup since as along as I can remember, and I've been lucky enough to ride at a few, but this is my first one as a trainer, so it's exciting. I haven't been to the Breeders' Cup in the last few years because I haven't had a runner, so it's nice to be back,” said O'Brien, the former dual champion jockey in Ireland who retired from race-riding in 2019

Porta Fortuna remains confined to barracks until being allowed on to the main track on Tuesday morning.

“She travelled well and is in good form, and seems to have settled in well,” he continued. “She's been a superstar for us this year. To win at Ascot was fantastic, but she had two wins before Ascot, so to still be going, and to have run in three Group 1s in a row, and against the boys as well, she's danced every dance and she's a very tough filly. We're very lucky to have her, she's been great for us.”

That she has. From her maiden win at the Curragh on April 16, Porta Fortuna went straight into Pattern company for her first run in the colours of her new team of owners to win the G3 Fillies' Sprint S. at Naas, enjoying the perfect tune up before her first spot of travelling to Ascot for the G3 Albany S. Come August, she was chasing home Bucanero Fuerte (Fr) to be second in the G1 Phoenix S. before taking third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. Finally she secured her own Group 1 success on her return to Britain for the Cheveley Park S. at Newmarket. She steps up now for a tight, turning mile, the first time she has gone beyond seven furlongs. 

Her trainer reported, “She has taken every run very well. She's not a filly who needs a lot of work at home. She's not difficult to train, her races kind of bring her along.

“She is owned by Steve Weston, Barry Fowler, Dean Reeves and Medallion Thoroughbreds, as well, which is a big syndicate. They are all American, and from the moment they bought her this was the dream and it has just worked out incredibly well. It's great to be able to bring her over to the US for them.”

The success of Porta Fortuna has also prompted greater involvement in O'Brien's stable from the ownership group, who bought into the filly through agent Mark McStay.

He added, “They bought her after she won a maiden, and they have bought some yearlings for me this year.

“In Ireland there's a small pool of owners, but internationally there's obviously a big interest in racing. This isn't something we've done on purpose, we were just lucky enough to get involved with these guys and it's brilliant to have some success for them.”

The one question that remains is how Porta Fortuna will cope with a two-turn mile after the wide open expanses of the Curragh plains and Newmarket Heath.

“We won't be sure until we go and do it, so we'll see,” said O'Brien. “It's going to be a lot different for her. Every race she's had so far has been on a straight track but she trains round a left-handed bend every day at home, so she's well used to turning left. She's obviously going up in trip as well, but on tight tracks, a mile around here is going to be like seven in Europe, and she has stayed seven before. We're not sure until we try but I feel she should handle it.”

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The plan, according to Shelton, is to purchase three or four yearlings to support Donnacha O'Brien, the mastermind behind that brilliant G3 Albany S. success back in June. 

Medallion Racing has already been on the scoresheet at the Goffs UK Sale at Doncaster this year. Fillies by Ten Sovereigns and Australia were added to the team for £82,000 and £100,000 respectively through bloodstock agent Mark McStay. 

Up until this point, Shelton and McStay had been working solely to snap up form horses, with Porta Fortuna the most high profile recruit. 

However, given the success they enjoyed this year with that star filly, who is on target for the G1 Cheveley Park S. next, Shelton and his investors have decided to go right to the very source and try and find a group of talented yearlings to go into training with O'Brien. 

He explained, “Generally, we have almost exclusively been buying form horses out of Europe but, due to the success we have been enjoying, we decided to make the trip to the Orby to try and buy some yearlings. We brought a large group of people over to Ireland for the Irish Derby weekend this year and the appetite has continued to grow. We wanted to get more involved in running horses in Europe and, at some point, bringing some back to America. I'm definitely looking forward to the Orby.”

Porta Fortuna wasn't Medallion's original pick. The owners tend to try and buy horses who have finished placed in Europe, rather than those who have won, because the option to return to America for lucrative maiden races is always there. However, such was the style in which Porta Fortuna won her maiden at the Curragh on debut, Shelton was convinced that she was the right filly to add to the roster. 

Phillip Shelton | Medallion Racing

Shelton said, “What I would say is that we are always looking at what the next two or three months looks like for any horse we buy in America or in Europe. At the time, we had Del Mar in the back of our minds and said that, if we could find something that had finished second or third on debut, we could go to the Group 3 at Naas and, if you break your maiden there it's a home run deal. If you just run well, you can go to Ascot knowing that you will not be a 100-1 shot. We just didn't fall in love with the second and third-placed horses in Porta Fortuna's race so we decided to buy the winner instead. 

“Another thing I would say is, Mark and I are constantly back and forth about what could be bought and what the buzz is on certain horses in Ireland. We try to get a good read on the form and, visually, we were just so impressed with Porta Fortuna on debut. Luckily, we have a lot of customers and partners who said, 'hey, if you guys like it, we'll jump in.'” But all the credit needs to go to Donnacha and his team for having her in great form all year and fingers crossed she can run well in the Cheveley Park and then on to the Breeders' Cup.”

The equine talent is not the only lure for Shelton as he describes the ownership experience that O'Brien has provided all of the investors at Medallion Racing to be hands down on another planet to what owners in America have become accustomed to with the bigger barns.

He said, “Working with Donnacha has been an unbelievable experience for us. Donnacha is very hungry and, what I like about everything is that his communication and how he explains what he is thinking about doing with the filly has been absolutely first class. We use The Racing Manager for communication with all of our partners and, when we came to Ireland, Donnacha spent a bunch of time with us. The biggest problem a lot of the American trainers have is they have so many horses and they are set up in so many different locations. Frankly, the communication is just not very good. You very rarely get any form of content from any trainer in America. But the communication with Donnacha has been very good. 

“Take Porta Fortuna, there are four partners involved in her at 25 per cent apiece. We want Donnacha to drive the bus but we have guys who are putting up real money and all they want is to be included in the conversation and have their opinion be heard. It doesn't mean Donnacha has to do it, not at all.”

He added, “In America, with the bigger stables, you are just being dictated to. Donnacha will send multiple voice messages about what he thinks of a race, what he thinks about tactics and he'll just ping that across. That means that I can just circulate that among our partners and it has been a complete game-changer. 

“We want to deliver a very high level racing experience. We've had roughly 300 starters in the last seven years and 25 per cent of those have come in Grade 1s. It's a very high level experience and, frankly, every horse I have had in training in Ireland, be it with Donnacha, Johnny Murtagh or Paddy Twomey, the communication and the level of involvement we get is significantly higher than in America.”

There is said to be a typically-strong travelling contingent of American buyers making their way to the Goffs Orby Sale this week. Their presence at the sale in recent years has provided a fascinating subplot and Shelton says he is hoping that this trip marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Medallion Racing. 

He said, “We'll be looking to buy three or four more at Goffs this week. We want to be averaging about €150,000 but we might partner up on one if we really like it. I know it is a sale that has been well-attended in the past by American buyers and last year Goffs had Niall Brennan, the Gladwells and David Ingordo. The reality in America right now is that dirt horses are very hard to keep sound and these turf horses are becoming more popular. We're looking forward to this week and the trip is all about how we can best serve our partners.”

Shelton added, “It is in our best interests to keep our partners happy and we try to deliver something they could never do on their own, whether it's leveraging our connections or utilising our experience in the industry. I always say that, if you want to go and buy a Porsche, all you need is the money to do it. There's no secret formula. 

“If you want to go to Ascot or run at the Breeders' Cup, it's going to take a significant amount of capital, but we can bring that down significantly for some people and there's no better example than Porta Fortuna. How many people dream of winning a race at Royal Ascot and how many dollars do they spend trying to chase that dream? All of our guys got to experience that for pennies on the dollar.”

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But when Porta Fortuna launched a determined bid and got up for the win in Friday's G3 Albany S. at Ascot to give Taylor Made's Medallion Racing partnership a win at the royal meeting, Taylor couldn't be blamed for maybe having thought twice about his decision.

“It's been two and a half hours, and I think my blood pressure has just come down to the point where I can have a conversation with you that you can understand,” said Taylor, reached after the race. “I'm a very superstitious person, so the agent who helped us find this filly, Mark McStay, he has been texting me literally three times a week since she won her last race, saying, `you've got to come, you've got to come, you've got to come.' And historically, any time I go to great lengths to see a race, things never go well. So, I've got a lot going on here, I've got to get ready for sales season, I'm not going. When I was watching the race, there were 18 horses, some of the best two-year-olds that have come out in Europe so far are in this race, and I thought if we could crack the top four it would be a great accomplishment. I was trying to temper everybody's expectations, and then when she put on that move and put everybody away. It was just surreal. I was watching it, saying, `is this really happening?' It was fantastic.”

Medallion and its partners-Barry Fowler, Steve Weston and Dean Reeves-bought the filly after the win at Naas, telling the TDN at the time that the partnership tries to buy one or two horses a year in Europe.

“I was very happy for our partners, both our partners in Medallion Racing that enable our team to go build the stable and also the people that come in alongside us like Barry Fowler, Steve Weston, and Dean Reeves because they put their confidence in us. With Steve Weston and with Barry, we've bought into some horses that have gotten hurt, didn't pan out, but they've stuck with us, and to see Steve Weston's silks cross the finish line at Ascot and to see him get to lead that filly in, it just really made me so happy because he's such a loyal guy, he's such a just great human being. I was crying for him, I was just so happy for Steve.”

Mark Taylor | Fasig-Tipton photo

Taylor said that Medallion has around 25 partners, each of which invests $50,000 or more in the partnership. The group raises from $1.2 million to $1.7 million every two years, only buys proven horses, and every partner is in on every horse.

“Our model is we buy all female horses and we buy horses that have already run who we believe have graded stakes talent off of what they've done so far. A lot of times, we have to pay; we're not stealing these horses. Everybody would like to go in and buy them, but we're also willing to let the existing partners stay in. A lot of times, we can leave them with the same trainer.”

In Porta Fortuna's case, they left her with her trainer, Donnacha O'Brien, son of the original owner, Annemarie O'Brien. Taylor said he felt that it was accommodations like that which help them to get a leg up on others who might be offering more.

“We try to be very accommodating partners, which allows us to get a crack,” he said. “Even though somebody else might offer more money, they're going to take the whole horse and do their own thing. So we try to be more flexible and just allow our people to participate on stages like Royal Ascot or the Kentucky Oaks or the Breeders' Cup or Grade Ones at big racetracks. Our theory is that once people get a taste of that, they might want to play on their own and take it to a larger level, or they might want to stay with this model. We have had some people that have gone outside and tried to do it themselves, which is great. It drives investment in the game.”

Porta Fortuna was well-represented by her American owners at Ascot this week, with Medallion's Philip Shelton as well as Reeves, Fowler and Weston, and at least six additional Medallion members on hand for the win. Ironically enough, it wasn't Taylor Made's only connections to succeed at Ascot this week. Other Taylor Made customers, Black Ridge Stable, won the Queen Mary with Crimson Advocate (Nyquist).

“We were going crazy for her when they won the other day, and then in my superstitious mind, I was like, `Well, there's no way two horses are going to win at Ascot with Taylor Made connections.' For it to happen twice, it was beyond words.”

Officially 8️⃣0️⃣ #RoyalAscot wins for @FrankieDettori, as he guides PORTA FORTUNA (Caravaggio) home a winner in the G3 Albany Stakes! pic.twitter.com/f4vVDZP1BU

— TDN (@theTDN) June 23, 2023

In addition to creating and nurturing new owners, Medallion also has a goal of showing off the sport at its best.

“In Medallion, we want to educate the people who come into the sport about all aspects of racing, including international racing, and to showcase to them how well these horses are taken care of. So many people look at our sport and say negative comments like, `These horses are just pawns in this big game,' but they're really not. We partner with people and we employ trainers that really care about these horses. And we try to shed light on that anytime we can so that our partners can see these horses are really loved, they're cared about, and we cheer for them and love them whether they win or lose.”

And even if he wasn't on hand, Taylor said he'd celebrate the win in typical Ascot-and typical Taylor–fashion. “I will drink some champagne,” he said. “But I'll wait until 5:00 tonight.”

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Their 3-year-old chestnut colt has never been off the board in his four career starts and has already earned 20 qualifying points from his second-place finish in the Fountain of Youth. He would still need the 20 points awarded to the Lexington S. winner in order to get a chance at seeing the Kentucky Derby starting gate, but trainer Kelly Breen is confident going into Saturday's race.

“We've had some not-so-great weather here at Keeneland, but he has adapted well,” Breen said. “Last week he breezed at Keeneland over a track labeled muddy. It wasn't the fastest of workouts, it was just a maintenance, but since he's been here he has been doing well.”

With Paco Lopez aboard, In Due Time drew post two in a field of 11 entered in the 1 1/16-mile contest.

“We'll leave it up to Paco,” Breen said when asked how he would like to see the race to play out. “Ideally I'd like to see him forwardly placed because if we ask him for speed, I think he will have the speed. I'd rather not see him get trapped in, but he ran well in a race where he came from off the pace and stayed on the rail saving ground. Whatever it's going to be, we're in Paco's hands.”

In Due Time was a $95,000 2-year-old purchase for Edge Racing, a spinoff of MyRacehorse designed to replicate a more traditional racing partnership. Edge Racing's Joe Moran and Nick Hines picked out the colt at the 2021 OBS April Sale after their partnership enjoyed success that same year with another son of Not This Time, Yes This Time.

“Yes this Time was Edge Racing's second purchase overall, so we had a little bit of comfort there in going with another Not This Time,” Moran explained. “In Due Time just looked like an athlete to us and we got him at an affordable price.”

In Due Time was sent to Breen's barn at Monmouth Park where he was stabled next to none other than Yes This Time.

“They were two peas in a pod,” Breen said. “They were both just happy to be around.”

Yes This Time won the GIII Kent S. at Delaware Park in July and just a few weeks later, In Due Time broke his maiden on debut.

Breen opted to give the colt time off after the win and he resurfaced at Gulfstream in January. He ran third coming off the layoff in a six-furlong allowance, but flourished when given added distance in his next start going a mile, traveling from mid-pack to get the win by almost six lengths.

“He is a horse that thrives for a little bit more distance,” Breen explained. “It was only a one-turn mile, but he showed his ability to relax and rate and he had a pretty good punch.”

The flashy win caught the eye of several more racing partnerships and before the colt's next start, Medallion Racing and Parkland Thoroughbreds had also joined in the ownership.

In Due Time finished second in an eventful GII Fountain of Youth, where his rider Paco Lopez was later suspended for 14 days for careless riding after In Due Time shifted out in the stretch and two jockeys were unseated from their mounts. Breen chose to give his trainee additional recovery time after seeing how the colt came out of the Derby prep.

“It was the first time where I saw that he was a little tired,” Breen said. “He did bounce back within 48 hours, but he's a very on, sort of motivated horse and he was a little knocked out after the race. I know if we were to run well in the Lexington that it's only three weeks until the Derby, but the extended time that he had in between his last race and this race is going to help him perform better.”

In Due Time will be well-supported on Saturday with 25 owners, along with their friends and family, cheering him on at Keeneland.

“We have people coming in from California, Florida, New York and Chicago so it's really cool to see all these people meet up all due to one horse,” Moran said. “Any time we get to compete in these big races–and fingers crossed a win could get us in the Derby– there's nothing more fun than that and to celebrate with more people is even better.”

Perhaps as an added bit of luck, Edge Racing has a second starter at Keeneland this weekend. Escape Route (Hard Spun) was the partnership's first purchase in 2020 and ships in from California to run in the finale on Saturday's card.

Edge Racing was launched in November of 2020 with the goal providing a more in-depth experience for owners buying into a larger ownership stake.

“Edge Racing is more like your traditional syndicate,” Moran explained. “95% of our owners started with MyRacehorse and it's cool to see them take that next step forward. This is our first journey on the Derby trail and it's exciting to be able to do it after such a short period of time.”

Kelly Breen is no stranger to the Triple Crown trail, with his top runners including 2011 GI Belmont S. winner Ruler on Ice (Roman Ruler) and 2011 Kentucky Derby contender and MGSW Pants on Fire (Jump Start), but he can't hide his excitement at the prospect of another Kentucky Derby starter.

“It's been a few years since I have been back,” he admitted. “My kids have never asked about races before, but they are asking if we are we going to the Derby this year. There is nothing here in Kentucky like the Kentucky Derby. Regardless of if we make it to the Derby or not, I believe that he's a nice horse and we'd like to have some fun with him and run in some nice races.”

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Trainer Rudy Rodriguez said the work was designed to help the 4-year-old Trinniberg filly with the cutback in distance after making her last two starts at 1 1/16-miles at Belmont, including an open allowance win in September and an off-the-board effort in the Empire Distaff on October 30.

“She did it the right way,” Rodriguez said. “We put company on her and tried to sharpen her up a little bit. She cooled out good.”

Bred in New York by her owner, the talented bay boasts a record of 7-4-1-0 with purse earnings of $185,350.

Rodriguez said J. W. Singer's Magic Circle is training well into next Saturday's $250,000 G2 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong test for juvenile fillies which offers 10-4-2-1 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points.

The Kantharos filly, who finished a close second to Gerrymander last out in the one-mile Tempted on November 5 at Belmont, breezed five-eighths in 1:02.02 November 23 over the Belmont dirt training track.

“She's doing very good. We'll work her again next week,” Rodriguez said. “She's coming into the race good and we just have to hope she likes the two turns.”

Magic Circle was a maiden winner at first asking sprinting seven furlongs in September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., ahead of a tiring fourth in the one-mile G1 Frizette on October 3 at Belmont.

Rodriguez said Magic Circle should appreciate the stretch out in distance.

“I'm hoping we can sit behind the speed and make a run. She's a very kind filly and you can do what you want with her,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said that Michael Imperio, Vincent Scuderi, Sofia Soares, Gabrielle Farm, Mazel Stable Partners, Matthew Mercurio, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Barry Fowler's Bella Sofia is off for a freshening ahead of a 4-year-old campaign.

The Awesome Patriot sophomore filly, who was unraced as a juvenile, went 4-for-6 in a tremendous campaign that included wins in the G1 Longines Test in August at the Spa and the G2 Gallant Bloom Handicap in September.

She completed her season with a fourth-place finish in the G1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint after traveling wide from the outermost post 5 under regular pilot Luis Saez.

“We didn't run our best race in California. I knew we were in trouble from the draw, but we were pleased with her year,” Rodriguez said. “We'll give her a little break and bring her back next year. We sent her to the farm and we'll give her two or three months and get ready for Belmont. Hopefully, she'll come back even better.”

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Atras said he is targeting a spring-to-summer return for the sophomore daughter of Honor Code, who handed leading 3-year-old filly Malathaat her only loss in the CCA Oaks three starts back. Maracuja was previously seventh in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks following a second-place finish in the Grade 3 Gazelle at Aqueduct.

“She'll get roughly 60 days and start some light training before coming back,” Atras said. “She hasn't had a break since late in her 2-year-old year, so we decided to give her one.”

Owned by Beach Haven Thoroughbreds, Medallion Racing, Parkland Thoroughbreds, and Barry Fowler, Maracuja was a troubled fourth last out in the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 25 at Parx Racing in Bensalem, Pa., finishing 3 ¼ lengths behind Clairiere.

“Things just didn't work out her way,” Atras said. “Unfortunately, she got bumped at the break forcing her down to the rail and she doesn't like to be there. She ran a good race, but she just didn't quite have it.”

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A native of Nashville now living in New Jersey, Beatty was indirectly introduced to horseracing through unfavorable circumstances. Beatty was the starting quarterback of Freehold Township High School and was slated to take his athletic talents to Farleigh Dickinson via academic scholarship when a motorcycle accident nearly cost him his life.

Beatty would eventually sign up to play semi-professional football for the New Jersey Bulldogs where he met coach Don Goold, a racing enthusiast and friend to the late thoroughbred trainer John Mazza.

“After practice one day, he asked me if I wanted to go to the track. He took me to Monmouth Park (in Oceanport, N.J.) and just from the front side I fell in love,” Beatty said. “I just loved the atmosphere. As if that wasn't good enough, he asked me if I'd ever been to the backside. And I said, 'The backside of what?'”

A visit to the Monmouth stable area allowed Beatty to develop a strong friendship with Mazza.

“It was a match made in heaven,” Beatty said. “You never would think an 80-year-old guy could be such a good friend with a guy in his mid-20s.”

Mazza, who passed away last May, took Beatty under his wing and taught him all the ins and outs of the business. When Mazza's longtime clients Holly Crest Farm began dispersing some of their stock, it gave Beatty the opportunity to step into thoroughbred ownership.

“He said the right way to do it is to get into breeding first to experience it on a different level, starting with one horse and see where it takes you from there,” Beatty said. “So, I took over a horse that couldn't race anymore.”

Beatty acquired Cinderella Time, a Stephen Got Even mare with one win in eight starts, and bred her to Gemologist and the end result of the mating was Horologist.

“Me and John literally pulled her right out of her mom and watched her be born,” Beatty said. “I watched her come right out and take her first steps about 20 minutes after she was born.”

Mazza trained Horologist through her first 11 starts, including 2019 stakes victories in Monmouth's Smart N Classy Handicap and Grade 3 Monmouth Oaks.

Following a third in the Grade 1 Cotillion at Parx that year, Beatty sold shares of Horologist to Medallion Racing, Abbondanza Racing, and Parkland Thoroughbreds, and the mare was transferred to West Coast-based conditioner Richard Baltas. Later on, Paradise Farms Corp and David Staudacher also bought in on Horologist.

“I couldn't have asked for better partners. They have taken things to a different level,” Beatty said.

After five starts with Baltas, Horologist found a new home with Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, who saddled the mare to graded stakes victories in last year's Beldame as well as the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher last July at Monmouth. Between those two starts, she earned Grade 1 black type when finishing third in the La Troienne last September at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.

“The good part about it is I had good people around me. John Mazza showed me everything I really know,” Beatty said. “One good thing that John did before he passed away was introduce me to people like [bloodstock agent] David Ingordo, and [trainer] Cherie DeVaux and that's something I have to thank him for.

“Some owners never get this opportunity. I've been extremely lucky in this business so far,” Beatty continued. “Bing Bush [Abbondanza Racing] is probably one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. Steve and Debbie West with Parkland Thoroughbreds are just extremely genuine people. They invite me to their house in Saratoga. There are so many great people to be involved with, and if it weren't for Horologist I wouldn't be in this situation.”

Horologist arrives at the Beldame off a gate-to-wire win in the restricted Summer Colony on August 22, contested at nine furlongs over a good and sealed main track at Saratoga.

A victory in the Beldame would likely result in another start in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6 at Del Mar. Horologist was a distant ninth last year when the event was held at Keeneland. A victory would also provide Beatty, who turns 30 on October 16, an additional reason to celebrate.

“A win would be an amazing early birthday present,” Beatty said.

The post Horologist Goes For Repeat In Beldame For Beatty, Partners appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Going to Vegas, a 4-year-old Goldencents filly got out early in the 1 1/4-mile turf race, and quickly got to the rail under jockey Umberto Rispoli, and she crossed over from the downhill course to the main oval ahead of Dogtag on the inside and longshot Neige Blanche on her outside hip.

Going to Vegas held a comfortable 1 1/2-length lead over Neige Blanche after an opening quarter-mile in :24.35 seconds, and she maintained that margin as the field went past the finish for the first time. The top three positions went unchanged as they headed into the backstretch, with Rispoli keeping Going to Vegas under light restraint.

The race started to percolate after the three-quarters mark in 1:13.49, with jockey Flavien Prat starting to rouse Luck from the middle of the field. Luck got up to third place behind Going to Vegas and Neige Blanche heading into the final turn, and she was in second after a mile in 1:36.35.

Rispoli started urging Going to Vegas in the straightaway with a right-handed crop, as they worked to hold off a pair of LNJ Foxwoods-owned runners in ground-saving Dogtag and outside-moving Luck.

Luck was gaining ground on Going to Vegas as the wire approached, but she ran out of time and real estate, finishing a head behind the winner. Stablemate Dogtag carried on for third.

Going to Vegas stopped the clock in 1:58.84 over a fast main track. She paid $4.20 as the post-time favorite.

Richard Baltas trains Going to Vegas for owners Abbondanza Racing, Medallion Racing, and MyRacehorse. Saturday's victory improved the filly's record to seven wins in 22 starts for earnings of $634,151.

Bred in Kentucky by J. Kirk and Judy Robison, Going to Vegas is out of the stakes-winning Johannesburg mare Hard to Resist.

To view the Equibase chart, click here.

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Rispoli, who had ridden Going To Vegas in her three starts prior to the Mabee, kicked the 4-year-old straight into the lead from gate four and controlled the pace through an opening quarter in :24.35 and a steady half-mile in :48.72. Prat had Luck settled worse than midfield and on the back of longshot Rideforthecause (Candy Ride {Arg}), but asked her for some acceleration with a little less than five-eighths of a mile to race after Mike Smith clicked up Red Lark (Ire) (Epaulette {Aus}) to Luck's outside. Luck was all the way up into a three-wide third and within striking distance as they raced around the second turn and the stage was set when Prat asked his mount to take it to the pacesetter in upper stretch. Benefitting from the easy tempo, Going To Vegas responded to his rider's urgings and sprinted the final two furlongs in a slick :22.49 to just hold Luck at bay.

“I'm thrilled with both horses' performances,” said trainer Richard Baltas of the 1-2 finishers. “Going to Vegas has the tactical speed and loves going a mile and a quarter and she showed it. It was a great ride by [Umberto]. My other horse, Luck, really moved up in class. I was really happy with her performance, she really improved in a Grade I, I'm looking forward to the future with her.”

Going To Vegas is not yet nominated to the Breeders' Cup and would have to be supplemented for $100,000.

Claimed from her breeders and trainer Peter Miller for $50,000 out of a victory at Santa Anita in June 2020, Going to Vegas halted a seven-race skid that included four consecutive runner-up efforts with a 3 3/4-length tally in the GIII Santa Ana S. over a mile and a quarter at Santa Anita Mar. 27, with Rispoli at the controls for the first time. An alibi-free fifth to Maxim Rate (Exchange Rate) in the GI Gamely S. in Arcadia May 31, the bay added a popular 3 1/2-length allowance victory at Del Mar July 16 before doubling her graded-stakes grab with a 2 1/4-length defeat of Dogtag (War Front) in the Sept. 4 Mabee.

Pedigree Notes:

With the victory, Going To Vegas becomes the first Grade I winner for two-time GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Goldencents. Going to Vegas is inbred 5×4 to Storm Cat and is kin to the yearling filly Brand Loyalty (Grazen) and a colt foal by Munnings. Hard to Resist went back to Grazen this past breeding season.

Saturday, Santa Anita
RODEO DRIVE S.-GI, $302,000, Santa Anita, 10-2, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/4mT, 1:58.84, fm.
1–GOING TO VEGAS, 124, f, 4, by Goldencents
               1st Dam: Hard to Resist (SW, $284,538), by Johannesburg
               2nd Dam: Anja, by Gulch
               3rd Dam: Knoosh, by Storm Bird
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Abbondanza Racing, LLC, Medallion
Racing & MyRacehorse; B-J. Kirk Robison & Judy Robison
(KY); T-Richard Baltas; J-Umberto Rispoli. $180,000. Lifetime
Record: 22-7-8-2, $634,151. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for
the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Luck, 122, f, 4, by Kitten's Joy
               1st Dam: Gold Round (Ire) (GSW-Fr), by Caerleon
               2nd Dam: Born Gold, by Blushing Groom (Fr)
               3rd Dam: Riviere D'or, by Lyphard
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Richard Baltas. $60,000.
3–Dogtag, 122, m, 5, by War Front
               1st Dam: Diamond Necklace (SP-Ire), by Unbridled's Song
               2nd Dam: Helsinki (GB), by Machiavellian
               3rd Dam: Helen Street (GB), by Troy (GB)
O/B-LNJ Foxwoods (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $36,000.
Margins: HD, 1HF, 3HF. Odds: 1.10, 2.40, 5.40.
Also Ran: Neige Blanche (Fr), Rideforthecause, Magic Attitude (GB), Red Lark (Ire), Crystalle, Fast Jet Court (Brz).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs, or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

The post Going to Vegas Going to Del Mar After Frontrunning Rodeo Drive Victory appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Bella Sofia took the initiative at the start, darting out to a one-length lead over Lady Rocket, who was able to take up second position despite stumbling at the break. The 3-year-old filly went :22.46 for the first quarter and then :45.40 for the half-mile, her lead three-quarters of a length going into the far turn, with Lady Rocket still second.

Into the stretch, jockey Luis Saez gave Bella Sofia the cue to go, the filly putting five lengths between her and the closest contender before Saez powered her down. At the wire, she was 3 1/2 lengths in front of Lady Rocket, traveling the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.69. Lake Avenue and Don't Call Me Mary rounded out the field.

Find this race's chart here.

Bella Sofia paid $2.80 and $2.10. Lady Rocket paid $3.90.

“Luis [Saez] and I talked before the race and if someone else wanted the lead we'd let them go, but she's so quick out of the gate. The one time we got beat [in the Jersey Girl] she stumbled out of the gate bad. I don't think she necessarily needs to be on the lead, but when you have this type of horse you have to take advantage of it” trainer Rudy Rodriguez said after the race.

“She's very special. From Day One when I rode her and broke her maiden here, she gave me a feeling she's a Grade 1-winner. In the Test, she proved she can really run and today was easy for her, ” Saez told the NYRA Press Office after the Gallant Bloom. “She finished up strong and did it easy. I had a lot of horse.”

Bred in Kentucky by Two Tone Farms, Bella Sofia is by Awesome Patriot out of the Consolidator mare Love Contract. She is owned by Michael Imperio, Medallion Racing, Sofia Soares, Vincent Scuderi, and Parkland Thoroughbreds. The filly was consigned by Grassroots Training and Sales at the 2020 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company July Two-Year-Olds and Horses of Racing Age Sale and purchased by Sallusto and Albina, agent, for $20,000. With her win in the G2 Gallant Bloom, Bella Sofia has career earnings of $542,600.

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