Versatility marks sires with 2017 Breeders' Cup doubles

On paper, there aren’t many similarities between the young Rushing Fall, who won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf going a route on the lawn, and Roy H, an older gelding who won the Breeders’ Cup Sprint on dirt.

The same goes for New York-bred Bar of Gold, who got her dark nose down on the line to win the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint in a major upset, and the flashy Great Britain-born, French-based Talismanic, who prevailed in the marathon Breeders’ Cup Turf.

But both sets of horses pulled off a double for their respective sires, who got the added boost of displaying versatility with those very different runners in the process. Rushing Fall and Roy H are both by More Than Ready, and Bar of Gold and Talismanic are both by Medaglia d’Oro.

More Than Ready, who stands at WinStar Farm in Kentucky, has become a phenomenally popular shuttle sire in Australia thanks to his successful turf runners – as evidenced by the unbeaten Rushing Fall. Roy H became the stallion’s fifth Breeders’ Cup winner, but his first on dirt. The stallion’s prior victories came with More Than Real (2010 Juvenile Fillies Turf), Pluck (2010 Juvenile Turf), and Regally Ready (2011 Turf Sprint).

Medaglia d’Oro’s pair of winners joined Songbird (2015 Juvenile Fillies) and New Money Honey (2016 Juvenile Fillies Turf) to give the sire four career Breeders’ Cup winners. The Darley stallion is enjoying an outstanding season. In addition to his Breeders’ Cup winners, both Songbird and New Money Honey were Grade 1 winners this season, along with top-level winners Bolt d’Oro, Dickinson, and Elate. Bolt d’Oro finished third with a wide trip in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

◗ The only stallion represented by two Breeders’ Cup winners as a broodmare sire this year was Lemon Drop Kid. Both Distaff winner Forever Unbridled and Bar of Gold are out of daughters of the Lane’s End resident.