It’s funny how a few months can change things. At the end of last year, Tapit was the leading first-crop sire and his Breeders’ Cup-winning daughter and champion 2-year-old filly Stardom Bound was the toast of the racing industry. We were all in awe of her, from the way she looked to her racing style, which was to swoop and loop the field in a breathtaking come-from-behind style. IEAH Stable paid $5.7 million for Stardom Bound at the Fasig-Tipton November sale, and after she won a few more G1s the plans were to run her in the Kentucky Derby. Well, flash forward to today – Tuesday, April 7 – and Tapit still leads the Thoroughbred Times Second Crop sire list (updated through Sunday, April 5), but in second on the list and quickly making up ground is another horse that I’ve been high on since the day he went to stud. He is Stonewall’s Medaglia d’Oro (click here to see the sire list), and he’s a son of another stallion that I love – El Prado.
When Medaglia d’Oro went to stud, he became one of our top recommendations in his stud fee range. In fact, one of his three juvenile SWs – Renda, a filly out of Ten Carats, by Capote – was the result of our mating recommendation.
Since then, Medaglia d’Oro has been on a tear! He is now the sire of 6 SWs through April 5 (obviously all of them are from his first crop, now 3), and HIS daughter Rachel Alexandra (out of Lotta Kim, by Roar) may now be the best 3-year-old filly in the country! On Sunday, she won – I should use the cliché decimated! — the G2 Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park by 8¾ lengths leading all the way. Ironically, on Saturday at Keeneland Stardom Bound was finally beaten after reeling off 5 G1s. She finished 3rd in the G1 Ashland to Hooh Why. The Kentucky Oaks should decide the issue of who’s the better filly, and it’s going to be a dandy!
Now here are some facts about Medaglia d’Oro that you probably won’t find anywhere else: ALL 6 of his SWs are fillies! Here are his SWs and SPs runners (9 combined). ALL 9 are fillies!
Rachel Alexandra – Multiple G2 winner.
Renda – Listed SW; G2 placed.
She’s Our Annie – SW.
C. S. Silk – G3 winner.
Gabby’s Golden Gal – Listed SW.
Retraceable – Restricted SW.
Ameribelle – G3 placed.
Hug it Out – SP.
Payton d’Oro – SP.
(click here to view their pedigrees)
Based strictly on auction results and assumptions thereof that higher prices are generally paid for better-looking individuals, Medaglia d’Oro’s 2008 yearling fillies were better than his colts: 20 fillies averaged $181,050, while 29 colts averaged $102,345. This may be one reason why his fillies have outperformed his colts to date (and I stress to date, folks, because it’s way too early in this stallion’s young career to label him a filly sire). Given this statistical information, I was very surprised to find that the stallion’s 2009 2-year-olds in training results were this: 4 colts averaged $536,250, while 4 fillies averaged $113,780!
Before anyone labels this young stallion a filly sire, let me caution you that it’s not unusual for a very good sire to start out with a filly bias. An excellent example is Seeking the Gold. NINE of his first 10 SWs were fillies, including G1 winners Heavenly Prize and Flanders. Today Seeking the Gold still has a slight filly bias (55% of his SWs). But with 6 G1 colts, including the sensational Dubai Millennium and, most recently, Belmont winner Jazil and Wood Memorial winner Bob and John, I’m sure Medaglia d’Oro’s connections would be quite happy to see him follow in Seeking the Gold’s footsteps!
Yonaguska Update
How about that Musket Man? The Yonaguska colt didn’t get any respect from the “experts” after winning the Tampa Bay Derby (click here see my blog on Yonaguska), but after taking the $500,000 Illinois Derby he will almost certainly be getting a second look!