Trainer Robbie Medina has been to Del Mar three times, each venture coming with horses for his former boss, Shug McGaughey.

In three weeks, he will make the trip with Newtown Anner Stud’s Praying by virtue of her half-length victory over Vahva in Saturday’s 45th running of the $400,000 Thoroughbred Club of America (G2).

The victory earned the 3-year-old daughter of Vekoma a fees-paid entry to the $1 million PNC Bank Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) at Del Mar on Nov. 1.

Praying delivered the first Grade 1 victory for Medina, who worked for McGaughey 25 years before going out on his own in 2020. In that time, he learned plenty from the Racing Hall of Famer.

“I would say the No. 1 thing I learned from him was patience,” Medina said. “He is the greatest trainer at being patient and letting a horse develop.”

Medina has been around horses all of his life.

“My dad was a foreman for a few trainers in Chicago, and he would take me to work with him at the track,” Medina said. “Then he brought me to Keeneland and Churchill Downs in 1983 and that sealed the deal for me.”