Medoro surges late to take China Doll Stakes
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ARCADIA, Calif. - The outcome is the same, but the margins are better.
In December, Medoro won her first two starts by rallying to take a narrow lead in the final strides.
In her 2024 debut in Sunday’s $100,500 China Doll Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, Medoro took the lead with a furlong remaining and drew away to win the one-mile turf race by 2 1/4 lengths.
Jockey Antonio Fresu has been aboard Medoro for all three wins, and thinks there is more ability than what observers have seen.
“She’s still learning and there is a lot there to find,” Fresu said.
Sent off favored, Medoro ($4.60) ran a mile on turf in 1:36.21 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 81.
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Medoro closed from fourth to take a prominent position on the turn of the China Doll. Girl of My Dreams, a 16-1 outsider, set a modest pace of 23.60 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.79 for the half-mile, leading by a length.
Girl of My Dreams faced pressure at the end of the backstretch, first from 3-1 Zona Verde and then from Medoro. With a wide move, Medoro took the lead in the stretch.
“She has that amazing turn of foot,” Fresu said.
“She’s got a good frame of mind and a good attitude.”
Zona Verde, the winner of the Grade 3 Jimmy Durante Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Del Mar on Dec. 2, finished second, followed by Antifona, the winner of the Sweet Life Stakes on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on Feb. 11. Zona Verde was a troubled second in the Sweet Life Stakes.
Antifona, the 7-2 fourth choice in the China Doll, was followed in the order of finish by Mo Fox Givin, Visually and Girl of My Dreams.
Medoro, by Honor Code, won a maiden race at five furlongs on turf in her debut on Dec. 1 by a head, and her stakes debut in the Blue Norther Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Dec. 29 by a neck.
Owned by Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stable and trained by Peter Eurton, Medoro has earned $156,100.
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