Rigney Racing’s Kentucky-bred Tam Tam shipped west off a smart win in the Tepin Stakes at Churchill Downs in June, and transferred her sharp form with a score in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) on Saturday, Aug. 22. The daughter of Medaglia d’Oro ran the nine furlongs on turf in 1:48.06 under Junior Alvarado for trainer Phil Bauer. Both rider and trainer were winning their first stakes race at Del Mar.
The bay filly tracked pacesetter Kensington Lane (IRE) from the chute to the turn for home. At the head of the lane, she challenged the pacesetter and then rallied strongly through the stretch to win by 1 1//4 lengths over Lookin at Diamond.
“I was happy (with the trip) but at the same time mildly concerned because I thought in the Regret it was a similar trip and she didn’t punch home as well,” said Bauer. “When he was knuckling at her in the turn, I was a little nervous but boy she answered the call. This is just pure relief. We felt like we had some fillies the last few years with Grade 1 talent and we just couldn’t get it done. Glad we could get the tag next her name.“
Tam Tam now has four wins in nine starts and with the $180,000 winners’ share of the Del Mar Oaks pruse, she now sports earnings of $648,800. Bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Stables, she is out of the Distorted Humor mare Princess Julia, and was a $975,000 graduate of the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale.