Medaglia d'Oro proving to be more than a top filly sire

Medaglia d’Oro has made his mark as an outstanding filly sire - and that’s no knock.

He sired one of the great distaffers in Hall of Famer Rachel Alexandra, who won the Preakness Stakes, Haskell Invitational, and Woodward Stakes against males in a Horse of the Year campaign that also included a win in the Kentucky Oaks. Medaglia d’Oro is also the sire of two-time Eclipse Award winner Songbird and a second Kentucky Oaks winner in Plum Pretty. Of his 20 Grade 1/Group 1 winners worldwide, 12 are female.

But Medaglia d’Oro is working on breaking through on several other fronts – and one of those is with his unbeaten son Bolt d’Oro, a two-time Grade 1 winner who is the presumptive favorite for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar.

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“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 Bolt d’Oro’s owner and trainer Mick Ruis.

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Bolt d’Oro was a $630,000 selection by Ike Green, Ruis’s racing manager, out of the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga selected yearling sale.

“[Green] loved him when he broke him,” Ruis said. “When we got him to San Luis Rey Downs, they said he just moved fantastic. We got him into our barn here in March and everyone that got on him said he was special. He’s still proving everybody right.”

Medaglia d’Oro is the sire of five Grade 1 winners this season, with Bolt d’Oro joined by four fillies. Songbird added two more Grade 1 events to her résumé before retiring; Elate won the prestigious Alabama and Beldame stakes in New York; 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner New Money Honey won the Belmont Oaks; and Dickinson edged Lady Eli on the Keeneland turf. Elate is among the favorites for the Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Medaglia d’Oro’s other pre-entrants for the Breeders’ Cup are Wonder Gadot in the Juvenile Fillies, Talismaniac in the Turf, and Gato Del Oro in the Dirt Mile.

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Medaglia d’Oro is also poised for success as a sire of sires, as well as a broodmare sire – unsurprising, due to his number of outstanding daughters.

His son Violence, among this year’s leading freshman sires, is already represented by three stakes winners, including Del Mar Juvenile Turf winner Encumbered, who was pre-entered for the Breeders’ Cup. Medaglia d’Oro’s other sons at stud in the U.S. include Australian champion Vancouver and multiple Grade 1 winner Mshawish, with foals arriving next year, and Australian Group 1 winner Astern, who will enter stud at Darley’s Kentucky farm alongside his sire.

“Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed his best year ever, with five Grade 1 winners in 2017 and the potential for a big Breeders’ Cup,” Darley sales manager Darren Fox said. “It’s a very exciting time to be adding his top-rated son Astern to our roster.”

Medaglia d’Oro also is off to a solid start as a broodmare sire. Rachel Alexandra produced just two foals before her broodmare career was curtailed due to foaling complications. Both her now-retired offspring won, led by Grade 1 winner Rachel’s Valentina. Medaglia d’Oro is also the broodmare sire of multiple Grade 1 winner Rock Fall and Grade 3 winner Dream It Is. Songbird is set to be sold as a broodmare prospect at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale.

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