Medaglia d'Oro was represented by his 12th Group/Graded Stakes winner May 21 at Pimlico as Super Espresso roasted the competition in the G3 Allaire DuPont Distaff over 1700m. Payton d'Oro, already a G2 winner, finished a strong second for her sire.
Settling off the pace to start the race, the four-year-old mare took her time and aimed for the lead in the straight in a strategic move to hold off a dueling Payton d'Oro in the G3 event for owner Bobby Flay.
Now a winner of three of five starts in 2011, Super Espresso also won the Sky Beauty Stakes at Aqueduct in February. A $1.1 million yearling, she was bred by Liberation Farm and Stonewall Farm in Kentucky. A half-sister to multiple Group winner King of Rome, she is out of the Forty Niner mare Amizette, a half-sister to Champion Althea. An outstanding family, her second dam is Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee.
Medaglia d'Oro has already had a tremendous 2011 as his daughter Plum Pretty stole the show in the G1 Kentucky Oaks earlier this month. She became the sire's second Oaks winner in just three years following Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra's win in 2009. The latter is a member of his first crop which also includes G1 winners Champagne d'Oro and Warrior's Reward.
Covering the likes of G1 winners Merlene, Rinky Dink, Star Shiraz, Shindig and Shamekha during his first southern hemisphere breeding season last year, Medaglia d'Oro will stand the forthcoming breeding season at $77,000 (inc GST) at Kelvinside.
