Whisper Hill Farm | Horse Racing Free Tips

Medaglia d’Oro Colt Gets Out in Time to Take Kitten’s Joy

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 two turns in a Keeneland off-the-turfer Oct. 16. He was a close-up fifth with some trouble in the Big A's Central Park S. Nov. 27, and showed good determination to take the Dania Beach S. by a head here on New Year's Day.

Off at nearly double his 3-1 morning line quote as Coinage took significantly more action that predicted, Grand Sonata broke well from the rail and settled into a good pocket spot behind Coinage and inside of Royal Spirit. Grand Sonata clearly had run after six panels in 1:11.88, but Tyler Gaffalione had to sit patiently and wait for daylight. Boxed in by Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker) when he tried to tip out, Grand Sonata had to hit the brakes, but once Speaking Scout could no longer keep pace, he was free to lengthen his stride and he quickened resolutely to get up by a neck.

“I thought he was a little bit overlooked today,” Pletcher, who saddled the one-two finishers in last Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf S., said of the winner. “All his turf races have been good. He had a really tough trip at Aqueduct and didn't get the win, but he's a really nice colt; very professional.”

Pletcher continued, “We were concerned there wasn't much pace on paper and Coinage can be tough when he gets loose, so we wanted to be aware of that. The fractions were pretty modest. I thought both horses were in good spots and both finished up well. Actually, I thought Royal Spirit might have had it for a second, but this horse has a big turn of foot and Tyler knows that. Once he got him in the clear they finished in a rush.”

Gaffalione said, “I had a ton of horse. I had to be patient to wait for a spot. A little crack opened and he hesitated just a little bit, but I had so much horse, he wound up getting through and finished the job nicely. Mr. Pletcher and I spoke before the race. He said he didn't see much speed in the race and to just follow [Coinage] around there and wait for a spot. When he got out, he really finished well.”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
KITTEN'S JOY S.-GIII, $100,000, Gulfstream, 2-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.53, fm.
1–GRAND SONATA, 123, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: A. P. Sonata, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Tyler
Gaffalione. $60,140. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $193,920. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Royal Spirit, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Don'tforgetaboutme, by
Malibu Moon. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '20
FTKSEL). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Claiborne Farm
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,400.
3–Coinage, 123, c, 3, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Broman, Sr.,
Chester and Broman, Mary; B-Chester Broman & Mary R.
Broman (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $9,700.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 5.80, 5.20, 1.80.
Also Ran: Eldon's Prince, Red Danger, Speaking Scout, Father Glado, Red Knobs. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
Grand Sonata is the 86th graded winner by Darley stalwart Medaglia d'Oro–seven of which are out of A.P. Indy mares, including GISWs Plum Pretty and Bolt d'Oro. A.P. Indy is the broodmare sire of an incredible 116 graded/group winners overall.

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill paid $1.1 million for dam A. P. Sonata, a daughter of GSW Moonlight Sonata and half to Grade II winners Wilburn (Bernardini) and Beethoven (Sky Mesa) as a KEESEP yearling. The late-debuting filly's best finish was a third-place finish going nine furlongs on the Keeneland dirt.

Grand Sonata's full-sister of 2017 died in 2019, as did A. P. Sonata.

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Saturday Insights: Dean’s List Makes 3yo Debut on Busy Gulfstream Card

4th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:27 p.m. ET
Several in this race carry nice price tags but IRON WORKS (Distorted Humor) on the outside catches the eye first as a $550,000 purchase from last year's OBS April sale (:10 1/5) for MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm. The runner is a half to one other winner from GISP Silverpocketsfull (Indian Charlie), herself out of MGSP Unforgotten (Northern Afleet) and a half to another graded stakes-placed horse. Particular (Classic Empire) one down in the gate is part of the first 3-year-old crop for his sire, and is a $300,000 2021 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream graduate after breezing a quarter in :10 2/5. Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke), out of a stakes-winning half to a group stakes placed runner in Japan, hails from the same sale; having drilled a quarter in :10 1/5 before going to Bradley Thoroughbreds acting as agent for William H. Lawrence for $350,000. The half to Grade I winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet) by the late Arrogate, $200,000 KEESEP and $100,000 OBS June graduate Anthracite, will break from midpack. TJCIS PPs

5th-GP, $61k, OC 75k/N1X, 3yo, 6f, 1:57 p.m. ET
After an eye-catching debut victory Dec. 11 at Gulfstream Park, WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's DEAN'S LIST (Speightstown) will make his 3-year-old debut against a closely matched allowance field. A winner by five lengths after contesting a speed duel through fractions of :21.70 and :44.36 half, he earned an 83 Beyer for the effort. The colt is out of Mildly Offensive (Sharp Humor), a dual stakes-winning half-sister to MGSW It's No Joke (Distorted Humor) and SW Keep Laughing (Distorted Humor). Dean's List adds Lasix here for Todd Pletcher. TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 3:05 p.m. ET
Whisper Hill Farm homebred CHARGE IT (Tapit) will be representing the family of 2013 Broodmare of the Year, Take Charge Lady (Dehere) through his dam, I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie). The second foal for the young broodmare, a $2.2 million purchase by Whisper Hill from the 2013 Keeneland September sale, he becomes her first to the races. His second dam needs little introduction, her line producing three sires as well as recent graded and listed stakes winners As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Courvoisier (Tapit). Next to that one in the gate is Touch Code (Honor Code), a half to champion 3-year-old West Coast (Flatter), whose first 2-year-olds will arrive this year. Their dam, champion 2-year-old and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Caressing, is also the second dam of three millionaires in Japan. He was a distant second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) on debut in Hallandale Dec. 11. The field of 10 also includes Trending (Uncle Mo), a half-brother to $1.2 million 2017 Keeneland September yearling Almashriq (War Front). Out of GSW & GISP Theyskens' Theory (Bernardini), the early May colt claims Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even) and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) down the page and will debut for Shug McGaughey as a homebred for Andrew Rosen. TJCIS PPs

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Dance D’Oro Gets First Stakes Win In Rampart At Gulfstream

Dance d'Oro scored her first stakes victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., in the $100,000 Rampart, leading throughout in a non-threatening victory over Don't Get Khozy.

Winning jockey Emisael Jaramillo rode the 4-year-old daughter of Medaglia d'Oro through comfortable early fractions in the one-mile stakes, leaving the filly with plenty of reserve in the stretch to register a two-length victory.

“We were comfortable in the front, good pace,” Jaramillo said. “When I asked her for run, she ran easy, because the first part of the race was easy for her.”

Dance d'Oro, trained by Ralph Nicks for owner Whisper Hill Farm LLC, was making her stakes debut in what was her 11th career race. Following a three-month layoff, the filly romped to a 9 1/4 length victory in a September 24 optional claiming race at Gulfstream, followed by a third-place effort in a handicap on Nov. 21.

“Her first race back was amazing, and maybe she bounced a little bit because she ran so hard,” Nicks said. “Today was another huge effort.”

Dance d'Oro raced to the front up the backstretch, followed by a non-menacing Gran Baby, and opened up on the field when she led the six-horse field into the stretch. Don't Get Khozy made a late run, but was no match for the winner. Allworthy, the 8-5 favorite, ducked in at the start out of the chute and finished third, 2 1/4 lengths behind the runner-up.

“It has to be maturity,” Nicks said of the filly's improvement. “She's always had talent, but it was hit and miss. She's getting a little more consistent.”

Nicks said he would likely keep Dance d'Oro in South Florida throughout Gulfstream's winter Championship Meet before making a decision on upcoming races.

“We'll stay here through the winter and see from there,” Nicks said.

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Saturday Insights: Promising Maidens on Display at Aqueduct, Churchill and Del Mar

1st-AQU, $80k, Msw, 3yo/up, 1mT, post time: 11:50 a.m. ET
Stone Farm homebred WAR FIGHTER (War Front), a full-brother to European champion 2-year-old and young Coolmore sire Air Force Blue, kicks off his career over the Aqueduct lawn for Graham Motion. The dark bay posted a pair of bullets at Fair Hill for this, including a four-furlong spin in :48 (1/6) over the all-weather Nov. 15. Chatham (Maria's Mon)'s 2020 War Front colt brought $1 million from Lynnhaven Racing at this year's Keeneland September Sale. TJCIS PPs

5th-AQU, $80k, Msw, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, post time: 1:45 p.m. ET
WINIT (Tapit), a $410,000 KEEESEP yearling purchase by Whisper Hill Farm, debuts in this two-turn grass affair for trainer John Kimmel. The gray was produced by a winning full-sister to GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf heroine New Money Honey (Medaglia d'Oro). Winit tuned up for this with a four-furlong breeze in :48 (2/36) from the gate at Belmont Nov. 11. TJCIS PPs

7th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, post time: 4:06 p.m. ET
Stonestreet homebred LA CRETE (Medaglia d'Oro) gets her career started in this two-turn test beneath the Twin Spires. The bay filly is a half-sister to GISW Clairiere (Curlin), who rallied to finish a close fourth after a wide trip in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff at Del Mar. The 5-2 morning-line favorite is trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen and will be ridden by Joel Rosario. TJCIS PPs

11th-CD, $120k, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, post time: 6:06 p.m. ET
Trainer Ken McPeek unveils RUN THE TAP (Gun Runner), a half-sister to grassy GI Fourstardave H. winner Halladay (War Front). The gray brought $210,000 from Walking L Thoroughbreds LLC at last year's Keeneland September Yearling sale. Leading freshman sire Gun Runner is already responsible for 21 winners. She is listed at 8-1 on the morning-line in this nine-horse field. TJCIS PPs

6th-DMR, $70k, Msw, 2yo, f, 6 1/2f, post time: 6:00 p.m. ET
MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm LLC's well-named MICRO SHARE (Upstart) takes on nine rivals in this debut run for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella. The dark bay, out of the unraced The Daddy mare Who'sbeeninmybed, was a :20 4/5 breezer and $450,000 purchase at the OBS April Sale. The field also includes fellow firster Empire Gal (Empire Maker), produced by a winning full-sister to the brilliant Untapable (Tapit). TJCIS PPs

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