Golden Sixty produced an electric turn-of-foot to reel in Playa Del Puente nearing the wire to win the BMW Hong Kong Derby by a neck at Sha Tin 22 March 2020.
The Medaglia d’Oro gelding emulated the brilliant Rapper Dragon (by Street Boss), becoming just the second runner to sweep the Classic series, which also includes the Hong Kong Classic Mile and Hong Kong Classic Cup. Rapper Dragon swept the series in 2017.
Golden Sixty was settled at the rear of the field of 14 alongside Playa Del Puente as Champion’s Way led the field through the early stages of the ten-furlong contest.
Sensing that the pace was slowing down on the backstretch, jockey Blake Shinn, aboard Playa Del Puente, made a bold last-to-first move to take command three furlongs from the wire. Playa Del Puente still held a four-length length lead with just over a furlong to run, but Golden Sixty was by now in full-flight under jockey Vincent Ho, gobbling-up ground while racing out near the center of the course.
Golden Sixty reeled in Playa Del Puente in the shadow of the wire to win the Hong Kong Derby by a determined neck. It was another three lengths back to More Than This in third. Golden Sixty now has won ten of 11 career starts.
Golden Sixty was bred in Australia by Asco International Pty Ltd., and is out of the Distorted Humor mare, Gaudeamus, winner of the G2 Robert H. Griffin Debutante Stakes in Ireland. Golden Sixty is a half-brother to stakes-placed Igitur (by Helmet), and hails from the family of champions Bosra Sham, Awaasif, Proskona and Hector Protector.
Medaglia d’Oro was the sire of eight northern hemisphere Graded Stakes winners in 2019, including Cambier Parc (G1 Del Mar Oaks and G1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup), Higher Power (G1 TVG Pacific Classic), Elate (G2 Delaware Handicap, G2 Fleur de Lis), Fools Gold (G3 Waya), Café Americano (G3 Pucker Up), Majestic Eagle (G3 American Stakes), Golden Award (G3 Turnback the Alarm) and Marzo (G3 Sycamore).
Medaglia d'Oro stands at Jonabell Farm in Kentucky for a fee of $200,000, stands and nurses.
