Gainesway sales grad Paddy O'Prado became racing's newest millionaire on July 17, following his fourth graded stakes score of the year in the $600,000 Virginia Derby (G2). The victory was his third Graded stakes win in a row, and clearly established Paddy O'Prado as the leading 3-year-old turf runner of the year.

Trainer Dale Romans compared Paddy O'Prado to multi-millionaire Kitten's Joy, whom he trained to the Eclipse Award as a 3-year-old in 2004. "Both are by El Prado, both are rugged horses who love to win with a big turn of foot. They are very, very similar."

Paddy O'Prado is among just a handful of runners to earn Graded stakes black-type on all three racing surfaces. He broke his maiden in the Palm Beach S. (G3) on grass at Gulfstream Park, then ran second on Polytrack in the Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland, and a strong third over the dirt in the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.

The gray or roan Paddy O'Prado is one of 16 current stakes winners, 32 stakes horses consigned by Gainesway, who sold the son of Champion sire El Prado to the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale, where he brought $105,000. Paddy O'Prado is out of the Grade 2-winning mare Fun House, and his record now stands at 10-3-2-3 and $1,101,297 for owner Donegal Racing.

Paddy O'Prado was sent off the 3-5 favorite in the field of seven 3-year-olds in the Virginia Derby. Unhurried early by regular rider Kent Desormeaux, he settled in sixth for the first three-quarters of a mile. Desormeaux asked him to go on the far turn, and he moved up the rail then split horses at the top of the stretch to go to the front. He quickly went clear by two lengths, then was held to task to win by 1 1/2-lengths. The final time for the 1 1/4-miles was 2:02.58 over the firm turf, garnering the winner his second consecutive 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

"That was great," trainer Dale Romans told the Daily Racing Form. "This horse just keeps getting better and better. He's doing so good on the grass, I couldn't think of taking him off it for now."

Romans said Paddy O'Prado will run next in the Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes on the Aug. 21 Arlington Million undercard at Arlington Park.