Making her stakes debut, Medaglia d'Amour ran an ideal race under jockey Alonso Quinonez to win Saturday's Grade 3 Wilshire Handicap at Hollywood Park.
The fillies that ran directly behind her were two accomplished older females - Cat by the Tale and You Lift Me Up. Cat by the Tale was the 2-1 favorite, and the winner of the Grade 2 San Gorgonio Handicap at Santa Anita in January. She was second to division leader Tuscan Evening in the Grade 2 Santa Ana Handicap in March. You Lift Me Up has won two stakes for state-breds in the last year.
Medaglia d'Amour was eighth in her debut last summer - a day that trainer Ben Cecil said he bet $1,000 on her to win. She is perfect in three starts this year, a maiden race in February, an allowance race in March and the Wilshire. She will start in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes here on May 29, a race that could draw Tuscan Evening.
