Tam Tam Stays Perfect on Turf With Sanibel Island Stakes Victory

Three failed starts on dirt had done nothing to define Tam Tam's ceiling. What trainer Philip A. Bauer found when he pointed the Medaglia d'Oro filly toward the turf in February changed the conversation entirely.

Tam Tam completed her unbeaten grass record at Gulfstream Park on March 28, rallying late under Junior Alvarado to win the $175,000 Sanibel Island Stakes by a neck in 1:27.42 over 7½ furlongs on firm ground. The victory, earned for owner Rigney Racing, pushed her career bankroll past $160,000 and cemented her status as one of the more intriguing 3-year-old turf fillies in the country.

Alvarado's ride was a study in patience. He settled Tam Tam off the early pace as Laigina set the fractions up front, saving ground while biding time through the first half-mile. When the moment arrived in the stretch, Tam Tam manufactured a sustained late run that wore down Laigina and eventually collared Connect the Stars at the wire. Two-for-two on turf in 2026; the result was not a fluke.

Bauer's decision to abandon the main track after three winless outings has proved transformative. The turf switch, made earlier this spring, immediately unlocked a different animal: a filly with the stride and late kick to operate at stakes level on grass. Her pedigree supports the trajectory. Out of Princess Julia, Tam Tam carries a bloodline capable of stretching out to a mile or beyond, and her closer's profile fits the kind of intermediate turf distances that define the summer graded schedule.

The Sanibel Island Stakes carries black-type significance for 3-year-old fillies mapping out turf campaigns, and the quality of her opposition makes the margin matter. Laigina and Connect the Stars are not soft targets, and Tam Tam beat them decisively enough to earn a conversation about graded company. With a perfect turf record and the pedigree to justify stepping up, Bauer and Rigney Racing now have every reason to aim higher as the spring and summer meets unfold.