Il Miracolo

Il Miracolo, a son of Horse of the Year Gun Runner, finished second in his first three races during fall 2022, all at Gulfstream Park. He then broke through in his penultimate race as a 2-year-old with a 5 ½-length win in a one-mile dirt race at Gulfstream, but failed to fire when moved up to contest the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes Dec. 3 at Aqueduct, finishing sixth of seven and defeated by 31 lengths.

The colt stayed on the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve trail in early 2023 but was soundly defeated in four consecutive prep races at his home track, Gulfstream Park. After finishing sixth in the Curlin Florida Derby Presented by Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms at Xalapa, Il Miracolo returned to lesser competition and won a one-mile allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream on May 11.

Another attempt in a marquee race netted a seventh-place finish in the Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets, but Il Miracolo’s form began to improve after that. He shipped to Saratoga and checked in second behind Scotland in the Curlin Stakes July 21, and then in his next start broke through with an elusive graded stakes win, taking the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx Racing on Aug. 22 by three lengths under Luis Saez.

Il Miracolo went winless through his next six starts heading into spring 2024, finishing second by a head to O’Connor in the Grade 2 Hagyard Fayette Stakes at Keeneland in October 2023 and third three times graded stakes during that span. He improved off of a third-place effort in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in early March to tally his second career graded score in the Grade 3 Ghostzapper Stakes March 30 at the same track, edging Tumbarumba by a nose after a sustained stretch duel.

Il Miracolo is out of the graded stakes-placed Tapit mare Tapit’s World, and his second dam (maternal grandmother) is Grade 2 winner Higher World.