Sent off as the even-money choice in her fifth career start, Medaglia d’Oro’s turf specialist filly New Money Honey won in Graded Stakes company for the third time on at Belmont on June 8th when taking the G3 Wonder Again Stakes by two and one-half lengths. She had previously won the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf along with the G3 Miss Grillo Stakes when breaking her maiden in just her third career start.
Racing beyond one and one-sixteenth miles for the first time, New Money Honey found herself in an unusual position as jockey Javier Castellano guided the three-year-filly to the front quickly out of the gate. From there, it was an uneventful path over the nine furlongs turf event, eventually drawing away when called upon for more down the stretch to win easily.
New Money Honey was bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, LLC, and was purchased for $450,000 at the 2015 Keeneland September Yearling sale. She is out of the Distorted Humor mare Weekend Whim, a full-sister to Any Given Saturday, winner of the G1 Haskell Invitational, and a half-sister to Bohemian Lady, winner of the G3 Cicada Stakes.
Medaglia d'Oro's number of career Stakes winners recently went over the century mark with a total of 49 of those capturing Graded events. In addition to New Money Honey, Medaglia d'Oro has also sired the sensational Champion Songbird, slated to make her 2017 debut in this weekend's G1 Ogden Phipps at Belmont. A win would bring to eight her total number of career G1 victories. Also entered this weekend in the G1 Just A Game is other G1-winning daughter Dickinson who earlier this year won Keeneland's G1 Jenny Wiley. Other progeny to achieve success at the highest level include Hall of Fame daughter Rachel Alexandra, leading freshman sire Violence, in addition to dual surface G1 winner Mshawish.
