ELKHORN S. (gr. II ), Keeneland , April 26, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $150,000 , 4 yo's & up , 1 1/2 miles , 2:30.84 Turf FM .

Owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey recorded their eighth graded stakes win during the Keeneland spring meet and were honored with a special gold tray when their 6-year-old Medaglia d’Oro horse Dark Cove captured the April 26 Elkhorn Stakes (gr. IIT). The closing day race also pushed trainer Mike Maker’s spring meet total to a record 25 victories and jockey Joel Rosario to a record 38 wins.

It marked the first career stakes score for Dark Cove, however, who now boasts a record of 7-2-1 from 22 starts, for earnings of $332,510. The bay horse has been sold twice at auction and claimed twice on the racetrack. As a weanling, he fetched $120,000 from Chesapeake Partners at the 2007 Keeneland November mixed sale when consigned by Warrendale Sales, agent, for Stonewall Farm. The following year Dark Cove was acquired for $155,000 by Whitehorse Stables at the same auction company’s September yearling sale from Eaton Sales, agent.

Dark Cove raced his first two starts for Robert LaPenta and trainer Nick Zito, after which he was claimed by trainer Kenny McPeek for Susan McPeek’s Magdalena Racing. The horse campaigned for Magdalena Racing in partnership with others until being claimed for $50,000 by his current connections exactly one year ago from the day of the Elkhorn.

Bred in Kentucky by Robert Haisfeld’s Stonewall Farm Stallions, Dark Cove is out of the Kris S. mare Crystal Cove. A daughter of stakes winner Scenic Point (by Unbridled), Crystal Cove is a half sister to grade III victor Better Now (by Thunder Gulch). Crystal Cove was most recently bought for $175,000 by Family Broodmares & Atoka Bloodstock at the 2006 Keeneland January mixed sale. In foal to Toccet, she was consigned by Bluewater Sales, agent.

The 13-year-old mare’s most recent offspring are 2-year-old and yearling fillies, both by Leroidesanimaux. She is due to deliver a Telling foal later this spring.

“(The 2-year-old Leroidesanimaux filly) is forwardly training with Randy Bradshaw and has a tremendous stride,” said Richard Haisfield, owner of Hallmarc Stallions near Ocala, where Crystal Cove is kept. “She has Leroidesanimaux’s heart and turn of foot, so hopefully we’ll be rewarded with another graded stakes winner.”

Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of 42 stakes winners. Among his four black-type winners of 2013 are other graded victors Live Lively (gr. II) and Rydilluc (gr. IIIT). Medaglia d’Oro stands for $100,000 at Darley near Lexington.—E.M.