The Mabee Lovlier for Medoro Second Time Around

In an admirable career of six wins in 17 starts, Medoro's best races had been her near misses. Last year, the daughter of Honor Code was second to the invading Gimme a Nother in the John C. Mabee Stakes (G2T) at Del Mar. Last April, Medoro finished just three-quarters of a length behind the dead-heating Expensive Queen and Segesta in the Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland. She had been consistent to a fault. Her owners—the CRK Stable of Lee and Susan Searing, and trainer Peter Eurton— could hardly ask for more. Then she gave it to them in the 2026 version of the 9-furlong Mabee on Del Mar's closing day with a 1-length victory over heavily-favored Thought Process that balanced the books on Medoro's loss the year before. "This was that race at Keeneland," Eurton said, referring to the high bar of the Jenny Wiley. "I know the favorite is a grade 1 winner, but I thought she had a shot to beat her, especially with the draw. For her, it's all about the trip." And the trip was perfect. Breaking from post seven in the field of 10 older fillies and mares, Medoro found a comfortable spot racing down the infield chute and into the clubhouse turn just behind the pacesetting longshot Pura Vida Princessa and Thought Process, while Bojaca Blessing set up shop along the rail. Juan Hernandez, who had ridden Medoro at Keeneland, was back aboard for the Mabee and was enjoying the view, as the leaders loped along in :47.90 for the first half-mile. "My filly relaxed beautiful today," Hernandez said. "I was grateful to ride her again. I was tracking the other mare, and when I asked her, she really gave it to me." The odds-on Thought Process and 3-to-1 Medoro dominated the betting and ran that way. They hooked up around the final turn and put on an old-fashioned cheek-to-jowl duel through the stretch before Medoro eased clear to win by a length. Bojaca Blessing held her ground well to be third, a nose in front of the late-closing Baltic Fire. Medoro stopped the timer in 1:47.61, shading 12 seconds for the final furlong, to earn the winner's share of the $252,500 purse. In making her first start in three months, Thought Process lost nothing in defeat. "The pace was slow," said her rider, Hector Berrios. "Maybe she would have been better on the lead. She was going good when Hernandez came to her. But maybe she had been away too long." By contrast, Medoro has been among the busiest grass mares of the 2026 season. Eurton is among several West Coast trainers who maintain a strong presence in the Midwest, and Medoro has led the brigade this year with five races in New Orleans and three different Kentucky tracks. She took the Marie Krantz Memorial at Fair Grounds and hit the board in three other stakes, including that Jenny Wiley. Medoro, now 5, is out of the English Channel mare Achira, who finished second in both the 2018 and 2019 editions of the listed Osunitas Stakes at Del Mar for trainer John Shirreffs (Eurton won the '19 Osunitas with Ahimsa). Medoro was bred in Kentucky by Parks Investment Group. Medoro also provided Hernandez with his 14th stakes of the Del Mar meet, although he fell short of catching Joel Rosario in the final win standings, 42-37. In terms of purses, however, Hernandez held the edge, $3.2 million to $2.9 million for the meet, which was a nice consolation. "Which would I rather win—the money or the races?" he asked with a grin. "The money. The money has been very nice."