Medaglia d'Oro, Speightstown hold strong hands for Fasig Gulfstream

Veteran sires Medaglia d’Oro and Speightstown recorded the highest Beyer Speed Figures of the year for juveniles, thanks to their sons Bolt d’Oro and Strike Power. Both of those colts are now looking ahead to Triple Crown preps – and that’s not the only reason to look ahead for their sires, as each has a strong band of well-bred juveniles cataloged for Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream, the first 2-year-old auction of the season where major money flies.

Medaglia d’Oro led all stallions in North America with seven individual Grade 1 winners in 2017, including a pair of Breeders’ Cup winners, with five of those becoming Eclipse Award finalists. The Darley stallion joined Danzig, Mr. Prospector, and Storm Cat as the only American stallions to sire seven top-level winners in a calendar year.

Those Grade 1 winners included multiple top-level victor Bolt d’Oro, who recorded a 103 Beyer when romping in the FrontRunner Stakes. The colt, who suffered his first loss when third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, is eyeing the Grade 2 San Felipe on March 10 as his 3-year-old debut.

“From watching films, I knew the Medaglia d’Oros had the cruising speed Bolt d’Oro’s shown, and that’s what we want to build on,” said Mick Ruis, Bolt d’Oro’s owner and trainer.

Medaglia d’Oro’s seven juveniles cataloged at Fasig-Tipton, all but one of whom are out of stakes-performing mares, include a half-brother to Dubai World Cup winner Well Armed and a filly out of Grade 1 winner Joyful Victory.

:: Beyer Sire Performance Standings: View complete charts ::

Speightstown’s son Strike Power earned a 102 Beyer winning his maiden at Gulfstream, then won the Grade 3 Swale Stakes. He will next attempt to stretch out in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth. Speightstown, a veteran stallion at WinStar Farm, led all stallions who had 50 or more juvenile starters in 2017 by percentage of those to meet the threshold figure of 80, with 22 percent. Medaglia d’Oro, who had an identical 78 starters in the category, checked in at 17 percent.

Speightstown’s five 2-year-olds cataloged at Gulfstream are led by a colt out of Grade 1 winner Appealing Zophie, making him a half-brother to 2017 Belmont Stakes winner Tapwrit. The colt will be offered as a pinhook prospect by Niall Brennan Stables after he was purchased for $250,000 by noted bloodstock agent Mike Ryan out of the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.

“He’s bred to be a dirt horse, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he was quick enough and had the action to run on the turf,” Ryan said. “We’ll just see, but hopefully he’ll be a summer 2-year-old. He’s a real Speightstown. Seven furlongs to a mile is probably going to be his optimum, but I loved him.”