There were plenty of cheers for 7-year-old warrior Skippylongstocking earning a Grade 1 win at long last in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (USA-G1), but the performance of the day may have been turned in earlier on the card when Destino d’Oro steamrollered past eight rivals in the final sixteenth of a mile to win the Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Stakes (USA-G2). A previous winner of the 2025 Pucker Up Stakes (USA-G3), she covered the final five-sixteenths of a mile in the neighborhood of 28.1 seconds and won by a going-away half-length over fellow late runner Crevalle d’Or. A daughter of Bolt d’Oro, Destino d’Oro captured her fifth win and third stakes win from eight lifetime starts and boosted her bankroll to US$829,884.
Bred by Hurstland Farm and James H. Greene Jr., Destino d’Oro is the latest star for a fine old family tracing back to Belair Stud foundation mare Marguerite, now mostly remembered as the dam of 1930 American Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox (by Sir Gallahad III). Although that was no small accomplishment, there was actually quite a bit more to Marguerite’s record than that, though not on the track; she wrenched her back in her only start and never raced again. Her legacy would lie elsewhere.
Marguerite’s produce record would have been much above the ordinary even without Gallant Fox, whose full brothers were 1938 English champion 2-year-old male Foxbrough and the good stakes winner Fighting Fox. Foxbrough had no impact at stud, but Gallant Fox begot 1935 American Triple Crown winner Omaha and his Ascot Gold Cup-winning full brother Flares (who handed on the male line of Sir Gallahad III to his son Chop Chop and grandson Victoria Park) as well as 1936 American Horse of the Year Granville, while Fighting Fox’s 18 stakes winners included 1952 American champion handicap male Crafty Admiral, another useful stallion and the broodmare sire of 1978 American Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Prior to her three fine sons by Sir Gallahad III, Marguerite had been put twice to Wrack, and the result of the first of those matings was Petee-Wrack, whose eight stakes wins included the 1928 Travers Stakes, the 1929 Metropolitan Handicap, and the 1930 Suburban Handicap.
None of Marguerite’s five daughters proved exceptional on the track, the best of them being 1937 Pimlico Oaks runner-up Lucky Pledge (by Sir Gallahad III), but three of them became multiple stakes producers. The most important of the trio is Marguery (by Sir Gallahad III), dam of 1949 Long Branch Handicap winner Whirling Fox (by Whirlaway) and 1956 Sorority Stakes winner Marullah (by Nasrullah). Marullah produced 1967 Amory L. Haskell Handicap and Brooklyn Handicap winner Handsome Boy and two-time Delaware Handicap winner Blessing Angelica to covers by Beau Gar, and Marguery also produced Marullah’s full sister Russ-Marie, whose daughter Margarethen (by Tulyar) won five stakes races, including two editions of the Beverly Handicap, before founding a branch of the family that leads to French and American champion Trillion, 1991 Irish Horse of the Year Generous, 2001 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) and Vodafone Oaks Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Imagine, and others of merit.
Tim Marie, a Tim Tam half sister to Margarethen, was devoid of her sister’s talent, running unplaced in four starts. She redeemed herself in the breeding shed, producing multiple Grade 1 winner Life’s Hope (by Exclusive Native) and multiple stakes winner Little Happiness (by Raise a Native; dam of juvenile stakes winner Happy Bid, by Spectacular Bid) as her first two foals. She also produced the winning Codex filly Ventured, whose stakes-placed daughter Doc’s Destiny (by Doc’s Leader) is the dam of Heart of Destiny (by Lion Heart), runner-up in the 2011 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (USA-G1). Heart of Destiny, in turn, produced Destino d’Oro as her seventh and final foal.
Now a 4-year-old, Destino d’Oro came up flat in her only previous attempt at Grade 1 company, the 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (USA-G1), but trainer Brad Cox has indicated that he will probably target a Grade 1 race with her in the not-too-distant future, possibly at the spring Keeneland meeting. Given the form she showed on Saturday, she should be a contender to add more Grade 1 glory to a distinguished family.
Bred by Hurstland Farm and James H. Greene Jr., Destino d’Oro is the latest star for a fine old family tracing back to Belair Stud foundation mare Marguerite, now mostly remembered as the dam of 1930 American Triple Crown winner Gallant Fox (by Sir Gallahad III). Although that was no small accomplishment, there was actually quite a bit more to Marguerite’s record than that, though not on the track; she wrenched her back in her only start and never raced again. Her legacy would lie elsewhere.
Marguerite’s produce record would have been much above the ordinary even without Gallant Fox, whose full brothers were 1938 English champion 2-year-old male Foxbrough and the good stakes winner Fighting Fox. Foxbrough had no impact at stud, but Gallant Fox begot 1935 American Triple Crown winner Omaha and his Ascot Gold Cup-winning full brother Flares (who handed on the male line of Sir Gallahad III to his son Chop Chop and grandson Victoria Park) as well as 1936 American Horse of the Year Granville, while Fighting Fox’s 18 stakes winners included 1952 American champion handicap male Crafty Admiral, another useful stallion and the broodmare sire of 1978 American Triple Crown winner Affirmed. Prior to her three fine sons by Sir Gallahad III, Marguerite had been put twice to Wrack, and the result of the first of those matings was Petee-Wrack, whose eight stakes wins included the 1928 Travers Stakes, the 1929 Metropolitan Handicap, and the 1930 Suburban Handicap.
None of Marguerite’s five daughters proved exceptional on the track, the best of them being 1937 Pimlico Oaks runner-up Lucky Pledge (by Sir Gallahad III), but three of them became multiple stakes producers. The most important of the trio is Marguery (by Sir Gallahad III), dam of 1949 Long Branch Handicap winner Whirling Fox (by Whirlaway) and 1956 Sorority Stakes winner Marullah (by Nasrullah). Marullah produced 1967 Amory L. Haskell Handicap and Brooklyn Handicap winner Handsome Boy and two-time Delaware Handicap winner Blessing Angelica to covers by Beau Gar, and Marguery also produced Marullah’s full sister Russ-Marie, whose daughter Margarethen (by Tulyar) won five stakes races, including two editions of the Beverly Handicap, before founding a branch of the family that leads to French and American champion Trillion, 1991 Irish Horse of the Year Generous, 2001 Irish One Thousand Guineas (IRE-G1) and Vodafone Oaks Stakes (ENG-G1) winner Imagine, and others of merit.
Tim Marie, a Tim Tam half sister to Margarethen, was devoid of her sister’s talent, running unplaced in four starts. She redeemed herself in the breeding shed, producing multiple Grade 1 winner Life’s Hope (by Exclusive Native) and multiple stakes winner Little Happiness (by Raise a Native; dam of juvenile stakes winner Happy Bid, by Spectacular Bid) as her first two foals. She also produced the winning Codex filly Ventured, whose stakes-placed daughter Doc’s Destiny (by Doc’s Leader) is the dam of Heart of Destiny (by Lion Heart), runner-up in the 2011 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (USA-G1). Heart of Destiny, in turn, produced Destino d’Oro as her seventh and final foal.
Now a 4-year-old, Destino d’Oro came up flat in her only previous attempt at Grade 1 company, the 2025 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (USA-G1), but trainer Brad Cox has indicated that he will probably target a Grade 1 race with her in the not-too-distant future, possibly at the spring Keeneland meeting. Given the form she showed on Saturday, she should be a contender to add more Grade 1 glory to a distinguished family.
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