Medaglia d'Oro's Elate Dominates in the Beldame

Elate | Chelsea Durand photo

Just as Todd Pletcher did a few years ago with GI Kentucky Oaks winner Princess of Sylmar (Majestic Warrior), trainer Bill Mott passed on a potentially very lucrative payday in last Saturday's GI Cotillion S. in favor of the GI Beldame S., her first try against older horses. On paper, Claiborne Farm and Adele Dilschneider's Elate was the class of the race and, save for a few slightly anxious moments at the three-sixteenths pole, the homebred took care of business to punch her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. The Beldame was a Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' race for the headline event Friday, Nov. 3.

Drawn gate one, Elate was away without incident and raced handy to the pace fought out in the early stages by Bishop's Pond (Curlin) and Money'soncharlotte. The latter made an aggressive move to challenge for the lead outside nearing the turn, but all the while, Elate was traveling on the bridle, full of run, in need only of somewhere to run. Verve's Tale made life a little bit interesting when sliding up the fence and momentarily leaving Elate in a bit of a jackpot, but when a sliver of daylight appeared, the filly exploded through with a turf-like turn of acceleration and put the race in her hip pocket.

“I was quite impressed with the acceleration she showed today when she did get through,” said Mott. “I think that part of her has improved as the year's gone on. She's learning how to use her speed. We've had a good year. Anything we do from here on out is icing on the cake.”

While not nearly in the same stratosphere as one-time Mott trainee Royal Delta, there are some comparisons. Like that future Hall of Famer, Elate earned her Rising Star with a towering debut success, but had the wheels come off when eased in the GI Ashland S. Brought along steadily by her conditioner, the dark bay swamped her rivals in Delaware's Light Hearted S. in June, battled divisional leader and GI Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman (Quality Road) to a head in the GI CCA Oaks July 23 and came full circle by crushing next-out Cotilion winner It Tiz Well (Arch) in the GI Alabama S. when last spotted Aug. 19. Royal Delta won the 2012 Beldame by 9 1/2 lengths, but was beaten by Princess of Sylmar in defense of her title the following year.

Pedigree Notes:

Elate is one of 18 G1/GI winners for her sire and is bred on the Medagalia d'Oro/Forty Niner cross that is responsible for Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, two-time champion Songbird and MGISW turfer New Money Honey. Her stakes-winning dam is one of 11 daughters of Distorted Humor to have produced a Grade I winner, including four in 2017 (New Money Honey, Arrogate, Practical Joke).

Claiborne's Seth W. Hancock purchased Elate's third dam, the Paul Mellon-bred MGSW & GISP Wild Applause (Northern Dancer), for $1.025 million at the 1992 Keeneland November sale. She produced MGSW Roar, who is the broodmare sire of Rachel Alexandra, and Elate's second dam Yell (A.P. Indy), winner of the 2003 GII Davona Dale S. and GIII Raven Run S. and third behind champion Bird Town in that year's GI Kentucky Oaks. In addition to Cheery, Yell is also responsible for GISP Chide (Blame).

Elate is the first foal out of Cheery, who failed to get back in foal to War Front, but produced a colt named Haunt (Ghostzapper) in 2016 and a Blame colt Mar. 8 of this year. The 8-year-old mare was bred back to Medaglia d'Oro this term.

Saturday, Belmont Park
BELDAME S.-GI, $400,000, BEL, 9-30, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:50.21, gd.
1–ELATE, 120, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro&log=">Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Cheery (SW, $172,762), by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Yell, by A.P. Indy
3rd Dam: Wild Applause, by Northern Dancer
'TDN Rising Star' O/B-Claiborne Farm & Adele B. Dilschneider
(KY); T-William I. Mott; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $240,000. Lifetime
Record: 9-4-3-1, $770,325. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”kbif-g1″]2–Money'soncharlotte, 123, m, 5, by Mizzen Mast
1st Dam: Something Wicked, by Chimes Band
2nd Dam: N. C. Goldust, by Gold Stage
3rd Dam: Arraign, by Judger
($72,000 Wlg '12 KEENOV; $135,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP).
O-George E. Hall; B-Oscar Benavides (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.
$80,000.[bullet ad=”lanes-end-sales-grad”][bullet ad=”eaton-sold”]3–Eskenformoney, 123, m, 5, by Eskendereya
1st Dam: But for Money, by Not For Love
2nd Dam: Here Comes Betty, by Cox's Ridge
3rd Dam: Betty Lobelia, by Assert (Ire)
($225,000 Ylg '13 KEESEP). O-StarLadies Racing & Lisa Troutt;
B-Ramspring Farm (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $40,000.[bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”][bullet ad=”bsw-private-purchase-for-lisa-troutt”]
Margins: 8 1/4, NO, NK. Odds: 0.30, 7.50, 8.00.
Also Ran: Verve's Tale, Bishop's Pond, Bombshell, Presumptuous. 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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