With the brilliant unbeaten Lady Eli (Divine Park) remaining on the sidelines as she continues her brave battle with laminitis, Godolphin's Sentiero Italia (Medaglia d'Oro) continued her rise through the ranks with a second straight impressive display in Belmont's GII Sands Point S. Saturday afternoon. Backed as the 8-5 favorite despite the presence of several formidable- looking European invaders, she tracked a slow early pace as the rain began to pick up. The Sheikh Mohammed homebred took over into the lane and kept finding to win without any resistance by three lengths. British invader Blond Me (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) was a good second with a less-than-ideal trip, while Miss Temple City (Temple City) rounded out the trifecta. “She just continues to impress,” racing manager Jimmy Bell said. “So professional and she just gives everybody so much confidence. I think she's still climbing the ladder in getting better. We'll have to speak with Sheikh Mohammed, but we're probably looking forward to the [GI] Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland [Oct. 10] and we'll see what we get to from there.”
A debut seventh at Gulfstream Mar. 11, Sentiero Italia has done little wrong since. The bay defeated older fillies and mares in her Big A graduation Apr. 19, then added a Belmont allowance May 28. Fourth behind Lady Eli in the GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S. July 4, she entered the Sands Point off a convincing defeat of Miss Temple City in Saratoga's GII Lake Placid S. at this distance Aug. 14.
“She's honest,” jockey Joel Rosario said. “She gives it when you ask her, she just keeps going. I was happy I was a little closer because last time it took just a little bit of time to get her into the race and then she just runs all day.”
Trainer Kiaran McLaughlin added, “I'd like to give my brother Neal and his wife Trish and their team a lot of credit. They've done a great job with this filly. She's a really nice filly and Joel did a great job with her [today]. I didn't expect her to be that close, but [Joel] made a good decision and was just going easy. I was surprised to see her that close, but I was happy turning for home.”
He continued, “She had her issues early in her career, but she's gotten good. Once we got her going she hasn't had any issues; she's run every race we've pointed for. She's top shelf.”
Sentiero Italia was the final foal produced by Golden Way (Ire).
Saturday, Belmont Park
SANDS POINT S.-GII, $500,000, BEL, 9-12, 3yo, f,
1 1/8mT, 1:48.83, gd.
1–SENTIERO ITALIA, 120, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Golden Way (Ire), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB)
2nd Dam: Diavolina, by Lear Fan
3rd Dam: Diamond Spring, by Vaguely Noble
O-Godolphin Racing LLC; B-Darley (KY); T-Kiaran P.
McLaughlin; J-Joel Rosario. $300,000. Lifetime
Record: 6-4-0-0, $621,100. *1/2 to Ashkal Way (Ire)
(Ashkalani {Ire}), GISW-US, $798,349. Werk Nick
Rating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
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2–Blond Me (Ire), 116, f, 3, Tamayuz (GB)–Holda (Ire),
by Docksider. (65,000gns Ylg '13 TAOCT). O-Mrs.
Barbara M. Keller; B-Wardstown Stud Ltd. (IRE);
T-Andrew Balding. $100,000.
3–Miss Temple City, 116, f, 3, Temple City–Glittering
Tax, by Artax. ($10,000 RNA Ylg '13 KEEJAN).
O-Sagamore Farm, Needle In A Haystack & The Club
Racing LLC; B-Bob Feld Bloodstock (KY); T-H. Graham
Motion. $50,000.
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Margins: 3 3/4, NK, HF. Odds: 1.70, 16.50, 4.80.
Also Ran: Tapitry, Osaila (Ire), Mrs McDougal, Iromea (Ire), Cara Marie, Malabar (GB), Marabea (GB). Scratched: Pangburn, Her Emmynency. 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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