Medaglia d'Oro Legacy is Strong in Kentucky Derby, Oaks

Darley America's Medaglia d'Oro is a warrior, proving at 26 in the twilight of his stallion career that he is still capable of siring some of the best runners in North America. On the May 2-3 cards featuring the Kentucky Oaks (G1) and Kentucky Derby (G1), Medaglia d'Oro will be represented by five runners in grade 1 stakes: East Avenue in the Derby, Good Cheer and Ballerina d'Oro in the Oaks, Spirit of St Louis in the Turf Classic Stakes (G1T), and Megalodon in the American Turf Stakes (G1T). In addition, he will be represented by 10 other graded stakes starters who are by one of his sons or produced by one of his daughters. "We are in awe of him every single day, physically as a stallion still breeding at 26 and by the prowess of his runners on the track," said Darren Fox, sales manager at Darley America at Jonabell Farm. "He has a reduced book because of his age, but our stallion manager Graham Lovatt says he is one of the strongest stallions in the breeding shed. It never gets old, and we never cease to be amazed by the wonder that is Medaglia d'Oro." As for the first weekend in May at Churchill Downs, Medaglia d'Oro's daughters are the brightest stars, led by a supernova named Rachel Alexandra. The imposing bay filly won the 2009 Kentucky Oaks by 20 1/4 lengths for then-owners Dolphus Morrison and Michael Lauffer. She then was purchased by Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick who watched her trounce the boys in the Preakness Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), and the Woodward Stakes (G1). She was named 2009's Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly. Medaglia d'Oro also is the sire of 2011 Oaks winner Plum Pretty, who was raced by Peachtree Stables, and of 2018 Oaks runner-up Wonder Gadot, who went on to win the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales stakes for Gary Barber. Good Cheer is this year's 6-5 morning-line favorite in the Kentucky Oaks. The Godolphin homebred trained by Brad Cox is undefeated in six career starts and already won three two-turn events at Churchill Downs that include the Nov. 30 Golden Rod Stakes (G2). Prior to the Oaks, she appropriately won the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and then the Fair Ground Oaks (G2), both at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots by a combined 9 3/4 lengths. Rodeo Creek Racing owns Ballerina d'Oro, who is 10-1 in the Oaks morning line and comes into the race off a win by a nose in the Gazelle Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack. Trained by Chad Brown, the gray or roan filly has two other placed finishes in grade 2 stakes, with a third in the March 1 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park and a second in last December's Demoiselle Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct. The Kentucky Derby has been a tougher mountain to summit for Medaglia d'Oro's sons. Three-time grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro and grade 1-placed grade 2 winner Enticed both started in the 2018 Derby, finishing 12th and 14th, respectively. Bolt d'Oro entered the classic off a second in the Santa Anita Derby (G1) to eventual Kentucky Derby (and Triple Crown) winner Justify, and Enticed entered the Derby off a second in the Wood Memorial Stakes (G2). Medaglia d'Oro entered the 2002 Kentucky Derby off a runner-up finish in the Wood Memorial by a head to Buddha. Raced by Edmund Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel, he would finish fourth in the Derby, eighth in the Preakness Stakes, and rebound with a second in the Belmont Stakes (G1). He found redemption by winning the Travers Stakes (G1), 2003 Whitney Handicap (G1), and the 2004 Donn Handicap (G1), in which he earned a career-high 128 Equibase Speed Figure. East Avenue, trained by Brendan Walsh, enters this year's Derby off a close second in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1), where he led throughout only to miss by a nose behind Burnham Square. The bay colt already owns grade 1 credentials from winning last year's Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland. He then went unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and in the Risen Star Stakes (G2). Regardless of the outcome in the Kentucky Derby, East Avenue already has earned a place in the Darley America stallion barn. "Just from his accomplishments last year, we added his name to one of our stall doors in the stallion barn. He is a physical Adonis," Fox said. "To win the Derby any year is special. But if East Avenue were to win it, that would be extra, extra special, to have a son in one of his later books do it takes it to another level. It is about Medaglia d'Oro's legacy and to have a homebred son hopefully get to pass on the torch is poetic timing really." The accomplishments to date by Good Cheer, Ballerina d'Oro, and East Avenue also illustrate another powerful quality of Medaglia d'Oro as a sire—getting elite performers with a variety of broodmare sire lines. Good Cheer is out of Wedding Toast, a grade 1 winner by Darley stallion Street Sense, who hails from the Mr. Prospector sire line through Street Cry. Ballerina d'Oro is out of In the Moonlight, a daughter by Tapit, who represents the Bold Ruler sire line through his grandsire A.P. Indy. East Avenue is out of Dance Music, whose sire Ghostzapper represents the Northern Dancer sire line through Deputy Minister and Awesome Again. "That is one of his strengths. As a son of El Prado, his pedigree doesn't get in the way because he is something of an outcross for the American sire lines. In one weekend of racing, we are seeing his genetic diversity," Fox said. "He is well represented by his sons, too, through Violence, Bolt d'Oro, Volatile—a grandson—and then Thorpedo Anna is by his son Fast Anna. "He is leaving his mark and continues to be a breed-shaping stallion," he continued. "It is exciting to be a part of his journey and to have a front-row seat."