Moonlight d'Oro | Horse Racing Free Tips

Medaglia d’Oro Filly Last to First in Las Virgenes

The highly regarded Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) took her first steps toward the GI Kentucky Oaks for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella with an impressive, last-to-first victory in Saturday's GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita.

The good-looking, last out Los Alamitos maiden winner in her two-turn debut with a field-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure Dec. 13 was sent off as the 6-5 second-choice in this stakes debut.

She was content to trail the field of five beneath Flavien Prat as the Bob Baffert-trained favorite Kalypso (Brody's Cause), a last out winner of the GII Santa Ynez S. and runner-up in the GI Starlet S., led through fractions of :23.25 and :47.47.

Moonlight d'Oro caught the eye with a flashy, three-wide move as they approached the quarter pole and took care of business from there, powering clear in the stretch to win with authority.

The Las Virgenes carries 10-4-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks.

Moonlight d'Oro faced the starter two previous times sprinting before earning her diploma. She gamely split horses in deep stretch after getting outsprinted early to finish an educational second as the 3-5 favorite on debut last summer at Del Mar Aug. 2. She also completed the trifecta going six furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 7.

“It turned out good,” Mandella said. “I was worried she got a little washy going to the gate, and she was a lamb over at Los Alamitos where she should have gotten upset. Sometimes you take them over to something like that and then the next time they're looking for the excitement.”

Prat added, “I was trying to see if I should stay inside or go around, and I decided to go around. She was there for me when I asked her to go. [Joel] Rosario was at the front and nobody was really bothering him, but when I came around the turn, I made that great move and tried to get some momentum out of it. She was traveling nicely behind horses, and I was very happy with how she ran.”

Winning co-owners MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm also campaigned recently crowned Horse of the Year and new Spendthrift sire Authentic (Into Mischief) in partnership. They are currently also represented by the MGSP 4-year-old Tizamagician (Tiznow), runner-up in last weekend's GII San Pasqual S.

Backed by B. Wayne Hughes's high-powered operation, the microshare partnership re-loaded at the yearling sales last fall, purchasing 14 head at Keeneland September for $3.355 million and another $850,000 on three yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Showcase.

For a feature on Moonlight d'Oro and her owners earlier this week, click here.

Pedigree Notes:

Among the perennial leading sires, Darley's Medaglia d'Oro notched his 75th graded winner with Moonlight d'Oro's Las Virgenes score, half an hour before adding his 76th with Risk Taking's GIII Withers win. The striking bay and triple Grade I winner is just shy of 150 career black-type winners with 148. His four-years younger stablemate in the Darley stallion barn, Bernardini, is Moonlight d'Oro's broodmare sire. The filly becomes the 44th stakes winner out of a Bernardini daughter and the second by Medaglia d'Oro. With zero inbreeding through her first five generations, Moonlight d'Oro is a half-sister to 2016 GII Adirondack S. placer Olive Branch (Speightstown), while her own dam is a full-sister to GSW Wilburn and SW & GSP La Appassionata, all by Bernardini, as well as a half-sister to GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa). Second dam Moonlight Sonata (Carson City) is a half to GISW Bevo (Prospectors Gamble) and to the dam of 2017 champion and $5-million seller Abel Tasman (Quality Road). Venetian Sonata's yearling colt is by Justify. She was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro.

Saturday, Santa Anita
LAS VIRGENES S.-GIII, $200,000, Santa Anita, 2-6, 3yo, f, 1m, 1:38.01, ft.
1–MOONLIGHT D'ORO, 120, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($620,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP). O-MyRacehorse & Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Richard E Mandella; J-Flavien Prat. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 4-2-1-1, $163,040. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Kalypso, 120, f, 3, Brody's Cause–Malibu Cove, by Malibu Moon. ($240,000 Ylg '19 FTKJUL). O-David A Bernsen, LLC, Rockingham Ranch & Chad Littlefield; B-Spendthrift Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert. $40,000.
3–Moraz, 120, f, 3, Empire Maker–Malvinia, by A.P. Indy. O-Don Alberto Stable; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY); T-Michael W McCarthy. $24,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 2 1/4. Odds: 1.30, 1.00, 4.10.
Also Ran: Brilliant Cut, Honor America.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Over the Moon for Saturday’s Las Virgenes

With Horse of the Year Authentic (Into Mischief) off to the breeding shed to stand alongside his superstar sire at Spendthrift Farm, how do you follow up on a 2020 season that included wins in the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Breeders' Cup Classic?

For Michael Behrens's budding MyRacehorse microshare partnership and B. Wayne Hughes's Spendthrift Farm, having a promising filly on the GI Kentucky Oaks trail is certainly a good place to begin.

Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro), a visually impressive maiden winner for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella in her two-turn debut going a mile at Los Alamitos Dec. 13 (video), kicks off her sophomore campaign versus four rivals in Saturday's GIII Las Virgenes S. at Santa Anita. The one-mile contest offers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points on the road to the Kentucky Oaks.

“It's a tough act to follow,” MyRacehorse's Racing Operations and Owner Experience Manager Joe Mishak said. “We always want to provide the shareholders with exciting times to look forward to. You want to be on the Classic trail, and to have a filly like this, makes it exciting.”

Moonlight d'Oro first caught the eye splitting horses in deep stretch after getting outsprinted early to finish an educational second as the 3-5 chalk on debut last summer at Del Mar Aug. 2 (Second Chances). She ran well in defeat once again second out, completing the trifecta going six furlongs at Del Mar Nov. 7.

Her stalk-and-pounce, three-length maiden victory–good for a very strong 87 Beyer Speed Figure–was further flattered when distant third-place finisher that day Moraz (Empire Maker) resurfaced with a blowout maiden win of her own in Arcadia Jan. 8. Moraz re-opposes in the Las Virgenes.

“We're really excited,” Mishak said. “She definitely executed the two sprints to a route perfectly. It all came together in that third race where she was forwardly placed and was push button when Flavien [Prat] asked her on the far turn. We've had this one circled on the calendar for a while now. Obviously, we're all highly anticipating her stakes debut.”

Bred in Kentucky by Stonehaven Steadings, the $620,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase is a half-sister to the juvenile graded stakes-placed Olive Branch (Speightstown). Moonlight d'Oro's winning dam Venetian Sonata (Bernardini) is a full-sister to GSW Wilburn and SW & GSP La Appassionata and a half-sister to GSW Beethoven (Sky Mesa).

Moonlight d'Oro's worktab–highlighted by a five-furlong move in 1:00.40 (2/32) Jan. 20 and a six-furlong bullet in 1:12.60 (1/6) Jan. 27–includes some in company experience with the three-time, graded stakes-placed 6-year-old mare and 'TDN Rising Star' Amuse (Medaglia d'Oro).

“She's trained superb,” Mishak said. “Everything that Team Mandella has thrown at her, she's passed with flying colors. She's super eager in her training. He gave her a little bit of time off after that maiden win–just a few weeks to decompress and get a little breather–and she picked up right where she left off. With the eyes on the prize, hopefully, we have a long spring campaign ahead of us.”

In addition to co-owners Madaket Stables and Starlight Racing, no fewer than 5,314 shareholders were in on Authentic. The ownership experience with MyRacehorse is also designed to be an educational one, per Mishak.

“The cool thing about Moonlight d'Oro and her shareholders is that we packaged her in a group of four fillies to teach about diversification and show why that strategy is so important,” he said. “If you own one horse, and hey, it turns out to be Authentic, great. You really hit a homerun. But in all probability, you're going to run into some difficulties that come along with horse ownership. The three other fillies in the group had some minor 2-year-old hiccups and we had to send them to the farm. Moonlight's been the bright spot of the bunch and has been getting people excited, and now those other fillies are making their comebacks as well.”

Along with the continued support of the high-powered Spendthrift operation, MyRacehorse re-loaded at the yearling sales last fall, purchasing 14 head ($3.355 million total) at Keeneland September, led by a $600,000 Into Mischief colt. MyRacehorse also spread out another $850,000 on three yearlings at the Fasig-Tipton Showcase, with a $450,000 Into Mischief colt at the forefront.

MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm also campaign MGSP 4-year-old Tizamagician (Tiznow), runner-up in last weekend's GII San Pasqual S.

“We had 17 yearlings that we purchased right off the heels of Authentic and it was met with so much enthusiasm where it was sold out very quickly within the matter of days,” Mishak said. “There's still a very big appetite and demand for shares in horses and getting into ownership.”

Mishak concluded with a laugh, “I think the shareholders are literally over the moon, pun intended.”

The post Over the Moon for Saturday’s Las Virgenes appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Oaks Points On The Line As Moonlight D’Oro Will Be Tested In Las Virgenes

Richard Mandella's impressive recent maiden winner Moonlight d'Oro and Bob Baffert's graded stakes winning Kalypso headline a field of five sophomore fillies going one mile in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita.

An important prep to the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3, the Las Virgenes winner will receive 10 Kentucky Oaks (April 30) qualifying points, with four, two and one given to those finishing underneath.

The 4-5 favorite in her first try at two turns, Moonlight d'Oro pressed the early pace and drew off to a solid three length win going a flat mile on Dec. 13 at Los Alamitos under Flavien Prat, who will ride back in the Las Virgenes. A $620,000 Keeneland September Yearling, Moonlight d'Oro finished a close second as the 3-5 favorite in her five furlong debut Aug. 2 and was then third, beaten 1 ½ lengths going six furlongs on Nov. 7.

Owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, LLC, Moonlight d'Oro is by Medaglia d'Oro and is out of the Bernardini mare Venetian Sonata. With a Las Virgenes-best 87 Beyer Speed figure in hand, she'll be making her fourth career start on Saturday.

Never worse than third in five starts, Kalypso was second going a mile and one sixteenth in the Grade 1 Starlet at Los Alamitos on Dec. 5 and cut back in distance to register a 1 ¾ length win going seven furlongs in the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes here on Jan. 3 as the 4-5 favorite. Off at 11-1 in the Starlet, she tired late, calling into question her ability to beat top caliber competition routing.

Owned by David Bernsen, LLC and Rockingham Ranch, Kalypso, a chestnut filly by Brody's Cause out of the Malibu Moon mare Malibu Cove, got an 81 Beyer in winning the Santa Ynez and retains the services of Joel Rosario.

A gutty nose maiden winner going six furlongs on Jan. 10, the Shelbe Ruis-trained Honor America will stretch out for the first time in her third start and be ridden back by leading man Juan Hernandez. Owned by Ruis Racing, LLC, Honor America is by Into Mischief, out of the Honour and Glory mare Honour Isabel, Honor America sold for $250,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Mid-Atlantic 2-year-olds in training sale in May of 2020.

Claimed two starts back on Nov. 20 out of a maiden $50,000 claiming win going six furlongs, Doug O'Neill's Brilliant Cut was then head and head with Kalypso for the early lead in the Santa Ynez and finished third, beaten 3 ¼ lengths. Owned by ERJ Racing, LLC, David Kenney, William Strauss and Dennis and Doug O'Neill, Brilliant Cut will be ridden back by Ricky Gonzalez as she tries two turns for the first time in what will be her sixth start.

THE GRADE 3 LAS VIRGENES STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 1 p.m. PT

Moraz—Umberto Rispoli–120
Kalypso—Joel Rosario—120
Moonlight d'Oro—Flavien Prat—120
Honor America—Juan Hernandez–120
Brilliant Cut—Ricky Gonzalez—120

Early first post time for a 10-race card on Saturday is at 12 noon. All of Santa Anita's races are available free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager via 1st.com/Bet.

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‘We’ll See How Good She Is’: Moonlight d’Oro To Make Stakes Debut In Las Virgenes

Moonlight d'Oro makes her stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at one mile, a major steppingstone to the G2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 3 at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

The bay Medaglia d'Oro filly owned by MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC is coming off an impressive maiden win at one mile, sashaying home first by three lengths as the 9-10 favorite last Dec. 13 under Flavien Prat, who will be back up in the $200,000 Las Virgenes.

“We'll see how good she is,” said Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella, who won his first Las Virgenes in 1993 with Likeable Style ridden by Gary Stevens and his second in 2013 with champion Beholder under the late Garrett Gomez.

Moonlight d'Oro worked six furlongs Wednesday in a bullet 1:12.60.

Mandella said Border Town is likely for this Saturday's G3 Thunder Road at a mile on grass, while Extra Hope “is nominated in case it looks like rain and it ends up a dirt race.”

Border Town also is nominated to the San Marcos Stakes at 1 ¼ miles on grass which had been scheduled to be run Sunday but was moved back a week when nearly 2 ½ inches of rain inundated the area Friday.

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