Rigoletta Shines Gold for Hollendorfer, Thor-Bred Stables
On Thursday, a filly named Gold Arrow will make her debut at Santa Anita Park for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, and owners Pavla and Erik Nygaard of Thor-Bred Stables LLC. Billed as the 8-5 morning line favorite, the four-year-old Medaglia d’Oro filly is a home-bred for the Nygaard’s and a half-sister to her stablemate, Grade 1-winner and Breeders’ Cup Mile champion, Battle of Midway.
While her connections alone, which include jockey Joel Rosario on Thursday, are enough to have her made the morning line favorite, her pedigree is what truly sets her apart from her competition.
Rigoletta runs in her paddock at Chesapeake Farm.
Photo courtesy of Thor-Bred Stables LLC
The Nygaards purchased Gold Arrow and Battle of Midway’s dam, Rigoletta, at the 2010 April Ocala Breeders’ Sale for two-year-olds for just $35,000. They campaigned her with trainer Dan Hendricks for her two- and three-year-old seasons, in whose care she earned a win in the Oak Leaf Stakes (G1) at Hollywood Park and was considered an early favorite for the 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1) before an injury forced her retirement. She has since called Chesapeake Farm in Lexington, Kentucky her home.
All four of Rigoletta’s foals have been born at Chesapeake Farm, including a 2012 filly by Smart Strike named Rigged Smart, making her a full-sister to Battle of Midway, and a 2016 colt named Moretti, a full-brother to Gold Arrow. Rigged Smart was injured before she could make it to the track and is a broodmare alongside Rigoletta. Moretti broke his maiden convincingly in his second start this past month, and will likely make his next start on the Kentucky Derby (G1) trail in the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct for trainer Todd Pletcher on Feb. 2.
Thor-Bred Stables LLC is primarily a commercial breeding operation and, as such, Gold Arrow was initially entered in the 2016 Saratoga Sale as a yearling, but was withdrawn. The decision to keep Gold Arrow was made specifically to retain a female with Rigoletta and Medaglia d’Oro’s bloodlines for their broodmare band.
Gold Arrow was sent as a yearling to the Ocala Jockey Club in Ocala, Florida, to begin her training. The decision was made to allow her to mature rather than push her, which is why she is debuting in her four-year-old season.
“I think it’s so important for the horses to get the chance to develop at their own pace and tell the owners and trainers what they are ready for, and when. I feel that my job as an owner is to provide the best environment for the horses that I know how, and then let them do their own talking, if and when they are able,” says Pavla Nygaard.
Gold Arrow’s need for additional time to mature was a determining factor in sending Gold Arrow to the Jerry Hollendorfer barn, explains Nygaard.
Battle of Midway wins the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Mile.
Photo By: Steve Heuertz
“Partially the decision [to send Gold Arrow to Jerry Hollendorfer] was because of Battle of Midway, but she is her own person rather than a clone of him, so, in a sense, having a talented big brother was a detriment unless she got trained for who she was rather than who her brother was. I was confident they would do that and I feel that was the case. [Assistant trainer] Dan [Ward, Jr.] trained her sire, and they had one of [Medaglia d’Oro’s] best fillies in Songbird, so I felt they knew both sides of the family. Jerry has had a lot of success with fillies over the years, and they have a good program at Los Alamitos getting them ready as slowly or as fast as each individual needs. I felt the barn had the horsemanship, the ability to make a career, rather than just one good race. I appreciated that they didn’t push Battle of Midway into the Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes when it was better for his career to wait a bit and look further down the road.”
Nygaard also cites the quality of the company Gold Arrow will have to work with as she develops. “I feel that there are some horses that do well in boot camp programs, [and there are] others that need patience; and Jerry’s program seems to be able to adjust to both as needed from time to time.”
Ward, Jr. calls her workouts at Santa Anita “efficient and effortless,” adding that Gold Arrow is “very classy” and exhibits a “calm demeanor”, traits that Nygaard attributes to Rigoletta.
“[Rigoletta] had great work ethic. She is a very cool mare. When you are around the good ones, I think they all kind of bring a sense of awe. Some by being tough, others by being kind, but always an intangible - but palpable - sense of class about them.”
Santa Anita Park.
Photo By; Tom Ferry
While Gold Arrow was named, in part, because her bay coat takes on a golden hue in the sunlight, it is unlikely that will show in the second race at Santa Anita Park on Thursday, as rain is in the forecast. But, if she is anything like her half-brother, who broke his maiden first-out on an off-track at Santa Anita Park, she might easily be worth her weight in gold one day, just as her mother has proven to be.