Ballerina d'Oro

The ladies joined the colts as final preparations commenced not just for the GI Kentucky Derby next weekend, but the GI Kentucky Oaks as well, with Tenma (Nyquist) leading the parade Saturday morning. With Martin Garcia in the saddle for the four-furlong work over a 'good' track, the Bob Baffert trainee went through her paces in a final clocking of :48.40 from Baffert, and later confirmed by the track clockers. Tenma's five furlong gallop out was noted as 1:01. "He's good; he can really work one," said Baffert before the...

Saturday's Wood Memorial Day card generated record-breaking wagering as the all-sources tally came in at $23,250,478 for the 13-race program, the New York Racing Association (NYRA) announced via press release. The 2025 figure, on a day highlighted by 'TDN Rising Star' Rodriguez (Authentic) running them off their feet in Centenary edition of the GII Wood Memorial, eclipses the precious record of $21,601,673 established back in 2013 when Verrazano (More Than Ready) took home the top prize. The other contests on Saturday's card were the GIII Distaff Stakes won by Irish...

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...

The last week of preps for the GI Kentucky Oaks is upon us. The GI Ashland Stakes will be run Friday at Keeneland on opening day and Aqueduct will offer the GIII Gazelle Stakes the next day. The Gazelle came up predictably weak, but the Ashland has some intriguing contenders that could crack the top three or four come Friday. Last week, Quietside (Malibu Moon) was a convincing winner of the GII Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn and Five G (Vekoma) never looked back to win the GII Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Park...

Here's a look at the sixth installment of our Kentucky Oaks Top 10 for 2025: Things are really starting to heat up. Last weekend saw Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro), who is now 6 for 6, winning the Fasig-Tipton Fair Grounds Oaks. For now, she looks like a strong favorite in the GI Kentucky Oaks. At Turfway Park, Bless the Broken (Laoban) won the Bourbonette Oaks, but didn't show enough versus a weak field to crack our top 10. This will be a huge weekend of preps that will include the...

The Queens M G (Thousand Words), winner of last summer's GIII Adirondack S. and Schuylerville S. at Saratoga, rode the rail to a decisive victory in Saturday's GII Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale S. at Gulfstream Park, good for 37.5 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks. Drawn on the fence and off as the 9-5 second-choice, she traveled nicely on the inside through an opening quarter in :24.24, slipped through along the inside beneath Irad Ortiz, Jr. at the top of the stretch and took off nicely from there...

Things are starting to heat up on the trail to the GI Kentucky Oaks, and this weekend will feature the most important race run so far this year. The GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the Fair Grounds drew just six horses, but the race does not lack quality. Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) was undefeated last year in four starts and will be the favorite. But Simply Joking (Practical Joke) is not a horse you can throw out. It will be a big test for Simply Joking, who has run...

It sometimes seems that not a weekend goes by where Brad Cox isn't making news and visiting the winner's circle somewhere after winning another important race. That was the case last weekend as Cox won the Sam F. Davis S. at Tampa Bay Downs with John Hancock (Constitution). This coming weekend he'll send out one of his top threats for the GI Kentucky Oaks when the filly Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) makes her 2025 debut in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. at the Fair Grounds. To talk about past successes...

6th-Kentucky Downs, $180,800, Msw, 9-8, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:36.02, fm, neck. BALLERINA D'ORO (f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro--In the Moonlight, by Tapit) debuted a well-beaten sixth over the grass at Saratoga Aug. 4. Backed as the 6-5 favorite here, the filly was unhurried after the break as the lead was wrestled away by Big Air (Vekoma). The grey remained patient around the far turn, waited until she was given her cue approaching the eighth pole and went to work slicing through traffic. With a well-timed surge in the final jumps, the...