The 4-year-old filly BELLA MEDAGLIA (Medaglia d’Oro), bought by BT Venture as a yearling for $100,000 and resold as a juvenile for $200,000, ran a bang-up race to get her first graded placing in today’s GIII Kentucky Cup Distaff at Turfway Park. In between rivals while racing wide into the first turn, she settled just off the leaders up the backstretch, made a powerful move to the front a quarter mile out and fought gamely to the wire while finding La Gran Bailadora a bit too strong late. It was another eight lengths back to third. BELLA MEDAGLIA has now been first or second in 9 or 14 lifetime starts and earned over $175,000. This season, she also placed second in the $100,000 Iowa Distaff and Sam Houston Distaff and won Fair Grounds and Churchill Downs allowance races by open lengths. Congratulations to owner Coteau Grove Farms and trainer Bret Calhoun. (Bella Medaglia chart 9-24-11)
