By Jill Williams
Rigney Racing LLC's Tam Tam (f, 3, Medaglia d'Oro–Princess Julia, by Distorted Humor), a $975,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga buy and a granddaughter of 2005 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies winner Folklore (Tiznow), shipped west for the GI Del Mar Oaks going 1 1/8 miles at the oceanside oval Saturday. Not only did she take home her first graded victory–in a Grade I, no less–but she became the 100th graded winner worldwide for the already legendary Medaglia d'Oro.
A daylight winner of the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs June 27, Tam Tam broke like a shot at Del Mar, but was outfooted to the front by favored Kensington Lane (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). The bay, under Junior Alvarado, settled kindly along the rail behind the :24.14 and :48.29 fractions, so kindly that Alvarado wasn't sure how involved she would be.
“Normally, she is a filly that likes to pull a little more in the bridle, and she was completely off the bridle today,” he said. “She was traveling beautifully, but I just didn't know what to expect when I asked her to go. Normally she is more aggressive, but I guess she was just in a good rate and enjoying the ride.”
As the field strung out by about 13 lengths from first to last, Tam Tam held her stalking spot as Kensington Lane–winner of the GI Belmont Oaks July 4–continued to show the way. As they rounded the turn, Tam Tam threatened as she tipped out and made good on that threat, running right by the pacesetter to leave no doubt as to the best filly in the field on the day. Alvarado waved the crop and wrapped up late as Tam Tam crossed the line 1 1/4 lengths the best. Lookin At Diamond (Lookin At Lucky), a maiden winner and longshot at 40-1, passed Kensington Lane for runner-up honors.
“When I turned for home and I asked her for her best, she just really had a good turn of foot,” said Alvarado. “She seems like every race she matures. If she starts doing it like she did today where she can actually relax and not pull too much, that is just going to make her tough going on.”
In addition to her Tepin victory, Tam Tam also captured the Sanibel Island Stakes in March at Gulfstream for her first black-type win. Two graded tries ensued, resulting in placings in both the GII Edgewood Stakes and GIII Regret Stakes, each contested at Churchill.
“I was happy [with the Del Mar Oaks trip], but at the same time mildly concerned because I thought in the Regret it was a similar trip and she didn't punch home as well,” said winning trainer Phil Bauer, who won his first stakes at Del Mar in the Oaks. “When [Alvarado] was knuckling at her in the turn, I was a little nervous, but boy she answered the call. This is just pure relief. We felt like we had some fillies the last few years with Grade I talent and we just couldn't get it done. Glad we could get the tag next her name.”
Connections celebrate in the winner's circle | Benoit
Pedigree Notes:
Medaglia d'Oro, pensioned last October after a truly remarkable stallion career, showed he isn't ready to be counted out just yet. With his final foals born this spring, the Darley stalwart has 189 black-type winners among his 19 crops to the races to go along with those 100 graded winners. Top among his runners of 2026 is Nitrogen, the reigning 3-year-old filly champ who most recently finished second against the boys in the GI Whitney Stakes Aug. 8.
Tam Tam's broodmare sire, Distorted Humor, has had great success with Medaglia d'Oro. Among the baker's dozen of stakes winners bred on the identical cross is three-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty (Aus), as well as MGISWs Elate and New Money Honey.
The placed Princess Julia was a $400,000 Keeneland September buy in 2015 by Stonestreet Stables, who bred Tam Tam. A daughter of 2005 champion 2-year-old filly Folklore, Princess Julia has a 2-year-old filly by Charlatan, who was sold to Pura Vida Investments for $100,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, and a Feb. 6-foaled filly by Twirling Candy. She was bred to Omaha Beach for 2027. Princess Julia's granddam, the unraced Contrive (Storm Cat), was a $3-million Fasig-Tipton purchase by John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin in 2005. Her descendants include champion Essential Quality (Tapit), now a Darley sire, and Japanese champion and sire Contrail (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Tam Tam and Junior Alvarado are victorious in the Del Mar Oaks G1 presented by Keeneland Sales, marking the filly's first graded stakes win. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/4p8ZoA6R9v
— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) August 23, 2026
Saturday, Del Mar
DEL MAR OAKS PRESENTED BY KEENELAND SALES-GI, $302,500, Del Mar, 8-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/8mT, 1:48.06, fm.
1–TAM TAM, 122, f, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
1st Dam: Princess Julia, by Distorted Humor
2nd Dam: Folklore, by Tiznow
3rd Dam: Contrive, by Storm Cat
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN, 1ST GRADE I WIN. ($975,000 Ylg
'24 FTSAUG). O-Rigney Racing LLC; B-Stonestreet
Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Philip A. Bauer; J-Junior
Alvarado. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-2-2, $648,800.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Lookin At Diamond, 122, f, 3, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Patriotic Diamond (SW, $236,169), by Hat
Trick (Jpn)
2nd Dam: Patriotic Viva, by Whywhywhy
3rd Dam: Patriotic Diva, by Honour and Glory
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE, 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE.
O/B-Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC (KY); T-Leonard Powell.
$60,000.
3–Kensington Lane (Ire), 122, f, 3, by Starspangledbanner (Aus)
1st Dam: Almost Always (Ire), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Ramruma, by Diesis (GB)
3rd Dam: Princess of Man (Ire), by Green God (Ire)
O-Agave Racing Stable, Medallion Racing and Evan
Trommer; B-Almost Always Partnership (IRE); T-Philip
D'Amato. $36,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, HD. Odds: 2.70, 40.10, 1.70.
Also Ran: Green Carrera (GB), Inbox (GB), Raiding Party (Ire), Victorious Dream (Ire), Define (Ire), Peanutbutterbombe, Wild Like the West.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing.
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