Beautiful Gift needed every inch of Santa Anita’s long stretch to reel in rival Moraz as she earned a determined nose victory in the G3 Santa Ysabel Stakes March 7.
The win earned the three-year-old daughter of Medaglia d’Oro 50 points on the 2021 Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
One of three fillies in the field trained by Bob Baffert, Beautiful Gift was taken in hand early by jockey John Velazquez and settled into third early behind Kalypso and Moraz. Beautiful Gift continued to track the leading duo on the backstretch and into the far turn. Velazquez then moved the filly to the outside in order to have a clear shot at Moraz, who had taken over the lead. Beautiful Gift was then set down for the drive and needed every inch of the stretch to reel in Moraz, nailing that rival by a nose at the wire.
Beautiful Gift was bred in Kentucky by her owner, Baoma Corp. She is out of the winning A.P. Indy mare, Sea Gift, and is a half sister to Chitu, winner of the G3 Sunland Derby. Second dam Ocean Queen set a new course record when winning the G3 Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Derby and has also produced Graded Stakes-placed runners Bicoastal and Cherry Baby.
Beautiful Gift is the fifth Stakes winner of the year so far for Medaglia d’Oro. In addition to the Santa Ysabel winner, Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of Golden Sixty (three straight G1’s, including the Citi Hong Kong Gold Cup), Risk Taking (G3 Withers), Moonlight d’Oro (G3 Las Virgenes) and New Trails (Listed Curlin Stakes).
Medaglia d'Oro is standing the 2021 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for a fee of $150,000, stands and nurses.
