Profile: Rags To Riches

On the eve of the Belmont Stakes, we take a look back at one of its most celebrated winners in recent years; the brilliant filly Rags To Riches (AP Indy-Better Than Honour, by Deputy Minister).

The filly, a striking chestnut with a white blaze and socks, was a $1.9 million yearling purchase by Demi O’Byrne, agent for Coolmore Stud. She made her racing debut the following May, finishing fourth, and was laid up with some growing pains until late that year when she did break her maiden in California.

Rags To Riches burst onto the national scene with back-to-back grade I wins in the Las Virgines and Santa Anita Oaks. She then romped home in the mud to win the Kentucky Oaks.

Although Todd Pletcher had resisted the temptation to start the budding superstar in the Kentucky Derby, he chose to run her in the Belmont after that year’s Derby winner, Street Sense, elected to pass. The filly was bred for success in the event; her sire, AP Indy, took the 1992 Belmont. Her dam, Better Than Honour, had already produced Jazil, winner of the 2006 Belmont.

What unfolded was one of the more dramatic races in recent memory. Rags To Riches stumbled at the start, then stalked the leaders and made her bid for the lead turning for home. At the top of the stretch, she encountered the Preakness winner Curlin (Smart Strike-Sherriff’s Deputy, by Deputy Minister). The two separated themselves from the pack and battled down the length of the stretch, with the filly prevailing by a neck.

Rags To Riches became the first filly to win the Belmont since Tanya in 1905. Her form in the race was flattered when Curlin went on to win the Breeders’ Cup Classic and be named the 2007 Horse of the Year.

Rags To Riches was supposed to get a break after the Belmont, then return to the races in summer 2007. But her comeback was interrupted by various physical ailments. First she spiked a mild fever. Then she was pulled up at the start of a routine workout and shipped to a veterinary hospital for a battery of tests. She finally started in the Gazelle Handicap in September and took the lead turning for home, but was passed late by Lear’s Princess and finished second.

The filly was found after the race to have a mild hairline fracture of her ankle and was turned out to rest for the remainder of the year. She was put back into training in early 2008, but re-aggravated the injury and was retired. She completed her career with a record of 5-1-0 from seven starts and earnings of $1,342,528.

Rags To Riches was bred to European champion Giant’s Causeway and produced her first foal, a filly, on March 9, 2009. She was bred back to another European runner, Henrythenavigator for a 2010 foal.

Profile: Medaglia d’Oro

Medaglia d‘Oro (El Prado-Cappucino Bay, by Bailjumper) was one of the most durable runners of his generation. Now he’s keeping his name in the news by siring fast fillies.

The son of El Prado burst onto the Kentucky Derby scene in 2002 with a win in the San Felipe. He then ran a gritty second in the Wood Memorial, missing by just a half length. The colt ran a troubled fourth in the Kentucky Derby behind front-running War Emblem, and then finished out of the money in the Preakness. Despite the tough schedule and relative lack of experience, the colt stepped up to run a strong second in the Belmont, beaten just a neck by longshot winner Sarava.

Medaglia d’Oro, whose name means “gold medal” in Italian, then came back to run an outstanding summer campaign. He won the Jim Dandy and Travers at Saratoga to stamp himself as one of the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Classic. But he again came up short to a longshot, as the unheralded Volponi stole the show.

Unlike some of the other stars of his generation, Medaglia d’Oro returned to run as a 4-year-old. He began the year with a win in the restricted Strub Stakes and then rolled through the handicap division from coast to coast, winning the Oaklawn Handicap in Arkansas, the Whitney Handicap in New York and running second in the Pacific Classic in California. However, he would again come up second in the Classic, this time to Pleasantly Perfect.

Medaglia d’Oro returned again as a 5-year-old and began the year in promising fashion. He won the Donn Handicap in Florida, defeating a field that included 2003 Derby and Preakness winner Funny Cide. Medaglia d’Oro then shipped halfway around the world to run in the Dubai World Cup, the world’s richest race. The trip for Florida to the Nad al Sheba track in the United Arab Emirates took more than 20 hours. Medaglia d’Oro came up just short finishing a neck behind rival Pleasantly Perfect.

Upon returning to the United States, Medaglia d’Oro was put back into light training, but his connections were unsatisfied with his progress and chose to retire him to stud rather than risk his health. He retired with a record of 17-8-7-0 and earnings of $5,754,720.

Medaglia d’Oro entered stud in spring 2005 at Stonewall Stud in Kentucky; his oldest foals are now three. The stallion is rapidly becoming known as a sire of extraordinary fillies. Among his offspring are Rachel Alexandra, who became the first filly since 1924 to win the Preakness Stakes, defeating Derby winner Mine That Bird in the second jewel of the Triple Crown. Rachel Alexandra has won six straight races, including the grade I Kentucky Oaks by more than 20 lengths. Medaglia d’Oro is also the sire of stakes-winning filly Payton d’Oro. Trained by Larry Jones, the 3-year-old won the Black Eyed Susan Stakes the day before the Preakness.

Medaglia d’Oro has also produced the stakes-winning fillies Renda, Gabby’s Golden Gal, She’s Our Annie, C.S. Silk and Retraceable.

Profile: Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness (Tannersmyman-Lady Essex, by Sharp Victor) cost just $1,000 as a yearling. But in terms of doing good for others, the 4-year-old may just be priceless.

Autism Awareness was purchased as a yearling by Johnny Taboada, whose lifelong mission is to raise awareness of autism in order to promote research of the disease. Autism is a developmental disability that usually appears by the time someone is three and their ability to communicate with others and interact socially.

Taboada joined the fight when his youngest son, Renzo, was diagnosed with the disease when he was two. So he began buying yearlings, giving them names associated with the disease, and trying to race them on the high-profile California circuit to gain awareness. Taboada also owns a full sister to Autism Awareness named Cure Autism.

Autism Awareness took 13 tries to break his maiden, but finally got his first win Jan. 21, 2008 at California’s Golden Gate Fields. He then burst onto the national scene by winning the grade III El Camino Real Derby in March of that year, coming home as a 62-1 longshot. The colt became a fan favorite once the story behind his name became public, and Taboada seriously considered nominating the colt to the Kentucky Derby. But a bone chip in his left knee, which required minor surgery, sidelined those plans.

When Autism Awareness returned to the races the following spring, it was on the turf. But he proved he didn’t like the surface, running last of nine in the San Francisco Mile. The colt rebounded with a win in a one-mile allowance race as Golden Gate.

Autism Awareness made his next start in the grade III Berkeley Stakes at Golden Gate on Memorial Day. Once again, he was overlooked by bettors, sent off at 30-1. But the colt ran by the favorites in deep stretch to earn his second stakes win, once again making headlines for his cause.

The colt now has a lifetime record of 19-4-4-1 and earnings of $281,745.

Profile: Parading

Parading comes from one of the most well-known female families in modern racing. His dam, On Parade (4-1-2-1 lifetime) is a daughter of My Flag, who put together a stellar race record that includes wins in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, Coaching Club American Oaks and Gazelle Handicap and a third-place finish in the Belmont. My Flag was, o course, the daughter of Personal Ensign, who capped an undefeated career with a dramatic win in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Distaff over Derby winner Winning Colors.

On Parade was My Flag’s first foal, but she also produced Storm Flag Flying, winner of the 2002 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies to complete the only three-peat for a female family in Breeders’ Cup history.

Like his dam, granddam and great-granddam, Parading is owned by the storied Phipps family and trained by Shug McGaughey. Now six years old, the a son of Claiborne stallion Pulpit, seems to be a late bloomer rounding into his best form. He won the ungraded Volponi Stakes on the turf at Belmont last fall, but his early career was, for the most part, interrupted by a pattern of injuries.

Parading gained attention this year by finishing second in an allowance race at Keenland in early April. He then earned his first graded stakes win in the Ben Ali at Keenland a few weeks later, making a sweeping move on the far turf after being stuck wide turning for home.

Parading then won his second consecutive stakes race in the Dixie Stakes on the Preakness undercard May 16. He sat near the pace, took the lead turning for home and then held on down the stretch. The win moved the stallion’s record to 17-7-4-2 lifetime with earnings of $405,046.

Since Parading now has stakes wins on both polytrack and dirt, McGaughey is considering taking him to California for his next start on Hollywood’s Cushion track. The prestigious Hollywood Gold Cup on July 11 has been mentioned as a possibility.