Medaglia d'Oro, Scat Daddy lead sires with six Kentucky Oaks nominees each

The champion filly Songbird remained undefeated and unchallenged with her victory in the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on Saturday and continues to lead sire Medaglia d’Oro’s quest for his third Kentucky Oaks winner.

Medaglia d’Oro, based at Darley’s Jonabell Farm in Lexington, Ky., is the sire of six of the 112 early nominees to the Kentucky Oaks, which will be run May 6 at Churchill Downs, but Songbird is the only stakes winner in his group.

“It’s such a fantastic feeling when you get a horse like this,” owner Rick Porter said of Songbird. “I’ve had some good ones, but I’m not sure I’ve ever had one this good.”

Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of Kentucky Oaks winners Rachel Alexandra (2009) and Plum Pretty (2011). His other 2016 Oaks nominees are Adornment, unplaced in her lone start; the debut winner Browse; the unraced Girl Talk; High Pitch, with one win from two starts; and I Like to Whim, with one win from three starts.

The late Scat Daddy, who stood at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Versailles, Ky., also has six Oaks nominees, tying for the most among sires. His group is led by Grade 1 winner Nickname, who is targeting the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park as her Oaks prep race.

Five other stallions have five nominees each: Bellamy Road, Curlin, Smart Strike, Tapit, and Uncle Mo.