Medaglia d'Oro was represented by his 12th Graded Stakes winner May 21 at Pimlico as Super Espresso roasted the competition in the G3 Allaire DuPont Distaff at one and one-sixteenth miles. Payton d'Oro, already a G2 winner, finished a strong second for her sire.
Settling off the pace to start the race, the four-year-old filly took her time and aimed for the lead in the stretch in a strategic move to hold off a dueling Payton d'Oro in the G3 event for owner Bobby Flay.
Now a winner of three of five starts in 2011, Super Espresso also won the Sky Beauty Stakes at Aqueduct in February. A $1.1 million yearling, she was bred by Liberation Farm and Stonewall Farm in Kentucky. A half-sister to multiple Group winner King of Rome, she is out of the Forty Niner mare Amizette, a half-sister to Champion Althea. An outstanding family, her second dam is Broodmare of the Year Courtly Dee.
Medaglia d'Oro has already had a tremendous 2011 as his daughter Plum Pretty stole the show in the G1 Kentucky Oaks earlier this month. She became the sire's second Oaks winner in just three years following Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra's win in 2009. The latter is a member of his first crop which also includes G1 winners Champagne d'Oro and Warrior's Reward. The stud fee for Medaglia d'Oro is $100,000 stands and nurses.
