Sweet August Moon wins G3 Rancho Bernardo at Del Mar

Sweet August Moon won her second straight race in graded stakes company, sweeping to victory in the $150,000 Rancho Bernardo H. (G3) on Aug. 22 at Del Mar. The 5-year-old daughter of Spendthrift stallion Malibu Moon won the Grade 2 A Gleam at Hollywood Park last month.

The 6 1/2-furlong Rancho Bernardo was scratched down to just a field of four after A Gleam runner-up Free Flying Soul was withdrawn on Sunday morning. Sweet August Moon stalked a couple of lengths off the lead down the backstretch, moved up alongside even-money favorite Alpha Kitten on the turn, then took the lead in mid-stretch to win by three-quarters of a length in a time of 1:16.40 over the Polytrack.

With the win, Sweet August Moon gained an automatic berth into the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint this Nov. at Churchill Downs as part of the Breeders’ Cup “win and you’re in” series.

Owned by Pete Parella’s Legacy Ranch and Shirley MacPherson and trained by Brian Koriner, Sweet August Moon has won seven of 17 lifetime starts. She has earned $426,396.

Koriner purchased Sweet August Moon as a 2-year-old for $400,000 out of the OBS March 2007 sale.

Malibu Moon is the nation’s third leading sire, with progeny earnings of $6 million. He is also one of only two North American sires with three Grade 1 winners on the year.