By Steve Sherack
Ballerina d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) is heading to the big dance.
The Rodeo Creek Racing colorbearer, off as the 3-5 favorite, outslugged a very game Early On (Union Rags), to deliver a nose victory for trainer Chad Brown in Saturday's GIII Gazelle Stakes at the Big A, good for 100 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks.
Ballerina d'Oro sat a perfect trip beneath Dylan Davis and traveled nicely in an inside fourth through fractions of :24.10 and :48.36. Tipped out on the far turn, she rolled up three deep approaching the quarter pole and looked well on her way to a facile victory as Virginia Oaks runner-up Early On held a narrow advantage at the top of the stretch.
Ballerina d'Oro drifted in and raced greenly on her left lead as Early On fought on bravely down the lane. Those two locked horns for the final furlong, and, after finally switching over, the long-striding Ballerina d'Oro leveled off nicely and was along in time to get there by the narrowest of margins.
After making her first three career starts on grass, Ballerina d'Oro switched to dirt with a fantastic second in the GII Demoiselle Stakes over this same track and trip Dec. 7. She kicked off her sophomore season with a third-place finish going a one-turn mile in Gulfstream's GII Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale Stakes Mar. 1.
“Very strong performance,” Brown said. “She was a little green down the lane there hanging on her left lead and leaning in a little bit. Although she has done it occasionally in her races and in the mornings, she did it a little more than I thought she would today. Nevertheless, Dylan did a great job to finally get her straightened out, she caught that right lead very late in the race and finally persevered by a tough customer down on the inside.”
Brown continued, “She is a work in progress, I think she got a good, hard race under her belt. I'm not sure how much she got out of the Gulfstream race and she missed some training. This race, she'll get a lot out of it and hopefully she can build off of it. She will need to, to be competitive in the Kentucky Oaks, but I think she has the talent to be.”
Pedigree Notes:
Ballerina d'Oro, a $320,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase, becomes the 99th graded winner for leading sire Medaglia d'Oro. The Medaglia d'Oro x Tapit cross has also netted MGSW Endorsed. The Stonestreet-bred maiden of five career starts In the Moonlight–a $310,000 purchase by breeder Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds at the 2019 Keeneland November sale–has also produced a 2-year-old colt by Gun Runner, who brought $800,000 from M.V. Magnier/White Birch Farm as a Keeneland September yearling. She foaled a filly by Taiba this year. In the Moonlight is a half-sister to GSWs Beethoven (Sky Mesa) and Wilburn (Bernardini) as well as the dams of GSWs Moonlight d'Oro (Medaglia d'Oro) and Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro). This is the extended female family of Kentucky Oaks heroine Abel Tasman (Quality Road).
BALLERINA D'ORO scores her first stakes win and 100 Kentucky Oaks points in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes with @DavisJockey aboard for trainer Chad Brown. pic.twitter.com/QMOuPlTqzd
— NYRA (🗽) (@TheNYRA) April 5, 2025
Saturday, Aqueduct
GAZELLE S.-GIII, $200,000, Aqueduct, 4-5, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.67, ft.
1–BALLERINA D'ORO, 118, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: In the Moonlight, by Tapit
2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($320,000
Ylg '23 FTSAUG). O-Rodeo Creek Racing, LLC; B-Rock Ridge
Thoroughbreds, LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Dylan Davis.
$110,000. Lifetime Record: 6-2-1-1, $286,975. Werk Nick
Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Early On, 118, f, 3, Union Rags–Sally O'Brien, by Distorted
Humor. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($20,000 Ylg '23 SARAUG).
O-C2 Racing Stable, Ken T. Reimer, Paul Braverman, Timothy
Pinch and Bradley D. Kent; B-John Lauriello (NY); T-Saffie A.
Joseph, Jr. $40,000.
3–Deloraine, 120, f, 3, Candy Ride (Arg)–Elaine's Cat,
by Discreet Cat. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Eoin G. Harty. $24,000.
Margins: NO, 5 3/4, 10HF. Odds: 0.70, 4.60, 8.40.
Also Ran: Vanilla Sundae, Pure Beauty, Diriyah. Scratched: Late Nite Call, Liam in the Dust.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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