Moonlight D’Oro and Risk Taking both win in America
Former Darley shuttler Medaglia d’Oro (El Prado) sired a stakes double in the US on Saturday, which saw his total stakes tally climb to 148. His son Risk Taking (3 c ex Run A Risk by Distorted Humor) landed the Withers Stakes (Gr 3, 9f) at Aqueduct, while his daughter Moonlight D’Oro (3 f ex Venetian Sonata - Bernardini) took out the Las Virgenes Stakes (Gr 3, 8f) at Santa Anita.
Trained by Chad Brown, Risk Taking pulled clear in the final stages to beat Overtook (Curlin) by three and three-quarter lengths. Capo Kane (Street Sense) finished a further length and a quarter away in third.
Purchased by Mike Ryan for US$240,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale in 2019, the colt is out of winning mare Run A Risk (Distorted Humor) and she is herself a half-sister to Grade 3 scorers Rey De Cafe (Kingmambo) and El Crespo (A.P. Indy) as well as Listed scorer Tricky Causeway (Giant’s Causeway).
Further back the colt is from the same family as Grade 2 winner King Cugat (Kingmambo).
Meanwhile, Medaglia d’Oro’s other stakes winner was Moonlight D’Oro who defeated Kalyso (Brody’s Cause) by a length and a half, while Moraz (Empire Maker) was another length and three-quarters away in third.
The filly was purchased by Spendthrift Farm for US$620,000 at the 2019 edition of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and she is out of the winning Bernardini (A.P. Indy) mare Venetian Sonata, making her a half-sister to the Grade 2-placed Olive Branch (Speightstown).
Venetian Sonata herself is a daughter of Grade 3 scorer Moonlight Sonata (Carson City), making her a sister to Grade 2 winner Wilburn (Bernardini) and Listed scorer La Appassionata.
Further afield this is the same family as multiple Grade 1-winning champion mare Abel Tasman (Quality Road).
Medaglia d’Oro shuttled to Australia for eight seasons, but did not return in 2018 and he is now represented in Australia by his three sire sons, Vancouver, Astern and Nostradamus. Medaglia d’Oro is standing at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Kentucky for a fee of US$150,000 in 2021.
