Well-bred entire North Dakota scores at Aqueduct whilst juvenile filly Inthewinnerscircle wins at Gulfstream
Former Darley shuttle sire Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado) sired a stakes double in the US on Saturday and took his stakes winners tally to 145.
Well-bred North Dakota (4 h ex Starry Dreamer by Rubiano) took his record to four wins and three placings in 11 starts when he won the Red Smith Stakes (Gr 3, 11f) at Aqueduct. The Claude McGaughey-trained entire ran on from midfield with 600 metres left to run and beat Red Knight (Pure Prize) by a half length with a head back to Ziyad (Rock Of Gibraltar) in third.
"I didn't think he'd be winning a Grade 3 in the fall, but he has the pedigree and he actually wants to run a distance of ground," McGaughey said.
Bred and raced by Joseph Allen, North Dakota is one of eight winners out of three-time Listed winner and Grade 1 placed Starry Dreamer (Rubiano) making him a half-brother to Grade 2 winning sire War Front (Danzig), dual Grade 2 winner Teammate (AP Indy) and the stakes winning pair Ecclesiastic (Pulpit) and Rivera Cocktail (Giant’s Causeway).
The Mark Casse-trained Inthewinnerscircle (2 f ex Sweet Bernardini by Bernardini) meanwhile won the Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes (Listed, 8f) at Gulfstream Park, scoring a one and a quarter length victory over Yafa (Handsome Mike) with another half length back to Double Blessed (Treasure Beach) in third.
Bred and raced by Live Oak Stud, Inthewinnerscircle has now won once from two starts and is the only winner out of her unraced dam Sweet Bernardini (Bernardini) who was bought by Live Oak Plantation for US$330,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
Her second dam is three time Grade 1 winner Sweet Catomine (Storm Cat) who is a sister to dual Grade 1 winner Life Is Sweet (Storm Cat).
Medaglia d’Oro shuttled to Australia for eight seasons between 2010 and 2017 and has sired 25 Group / Grade 1 winners globally including Coolmore Australia-based Vancouver and Darley’s Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Astern.
He is also making his mark as a broodmare sire with his daughters producing 34 stakes winners to date headed by Grade 1 winners Rock Fall (Speightstown), Competitionofideas (Speightstown) and Rachel’s Valentina (Bernardini).
