Grand Sonata kicked the New Year off in grand style when he overhauled stablemate Chanceux to win the Listed Dania Beach Stakes by a head at Gulfstream Park Jan. 1.
The three-year-old son of Medaglia d’Oro, who was making just his fourth career start in the eight-furlong turf contest, improved his record to two wins and a second in his four starts.
Off just a step slowly under jockey Tyler Gaffalione, Grand Sonata was settled into third early, content to stalk leader Chanceux as he led the field through the clubhouse turn and into the backstretch. Grand Sonata began to get into gear on the far turn and despite being stuck four-wide, rallied determinedly through the stretch, eventually overhauling Chanceux in the shadow of the wire to earn the victory.
Grand Sonata was bred in Kentucky by his owner, Whisper Hill Farm LLC, and is out of the mare, A. P. Sonata (by A.P. Indy). A. P. Sonata is out of the Graded Stakes-winning mare, Moonlight Sonata (G3 Arlington-Washington Lassie S.) and is a half-sister to G2 Stakes winners Wilburn (by Bernardini) and Beethoven (Sky Mesa), and to Listed winner, La Appassionata (Bernardini). Another half-sister, Venetian Sonata (also by Bernardini), is the dam of 2021 G3 Las Virgenes winner Moonlight d’Oro (Medaglia d’Oro). Also hailing from the immediate family is Champion Abel Tasman.
Medaglia d’Oro was represented by 20 Stakes winners in 2021. Topping that list is the outstanding Golden Sixty, the two-time Horse of the Year in Hong Kong and recent winner of the G1 Longines Hong Kong Mile for the second straight year. Other Graded Stakes winners last year include Dream Lith (G2 Golden Rod), Rockefeller (G3 Nashua), Navratilova (G3 Valley View), Vigilantes Way (G3 Eatontown), and G2 Shannon Stakes hero Yonkers (in Australia), to name just a few.
Medaglia d'Oro will stand the 2022 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for a fee of $100,000, stands and nurses.
