Spendarella, Del Mar Oaks winner in 2022, retired from racing

Grade 1 turf winner Spendarella has been retired from racing and will become a broodmare, trainer Graham Motion said Saturday.

Spendarella had been pointed to the Beverly D. Stakes at Colonial Downs last month, but wasn’t entered in the race because Motion wasn’t pleased with the way the filly was training. Spendarella last raced in the Grade 1 Just A Game on June 9 at Belmont Park, where she was a well-beaten second behind In Italian, her second start of 2023 following a runner-up finish in the Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill.

Spendarella’s 3-year-old campaign in 2022 came to a premature end because of a physical issue, but not before she won the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks. The filly had started her career with three straight wins, including two graded stakes, before finishing an admirable second behind top-class filly Inspiral in the Group 1 Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot.

Spendarella is a homebred owned by Antony Beck’s Gainseway Stable. She’s by Karakontie, a Gainesway Stallion, and out of Spanish Bunny, by Unusual Heat.

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