Trainer Todd Pletcher stated that he was thinking about Moretti for last year's G1 Belmont Stakes but the then three-year-old just wasn't seasoned enough for the one and a half mile marathon. Fast forward to the 2020 Flat Out Stakes at Belmont, at 11 furlongs, and the Medaglia d'oro colt relished his first start at "The Big Sandy" as well as the distance to win easily by four lengths. It was the second Stakes winner in as many days for his sire as Magny Cours also captured his first Black type win in the Prix de Montretout at Chantilly in France.
Pletcher also said after the race that he told jockey Javier Castellano in the paddock that he felt that Moretti was the true speed in the race. That played out exactly as he indicated as Moretti took the lead right after the start and never looked back. Last year's Belmont Stakes winner Sir Winston gave chase but was never a threat to the winner.
Moretti was bred in Kentucky by Thor-Bred Stables, LLC. He is out of G1W Rigoletta, dam of G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Battle of Midway. Rigoletta is a full sister to Stakes-placed Evening Concerto and a half sister to the dam of G2W Patternrecognition.
Medaglia d'Oro is the sire of 140 lifetime Stakes winners, 25 G1 winners, including 2019 high-level winners Cambier Parc and Higher Power, second in the G1 Hollywood Gold Cup on June 6th in his 2020 debut.
