With Spirit of St Louis searching for his third grade 1 win on turf this season within the June 7 Manhattan Stakes (G1T) and undefeated Kentucky Oaks (G1) winner Good Cheer within the June 6 Acorn Stakes (G1), there’s loads of consideration on their sire, Medaglia d’Oro , at this yr’s Belmont Stakes weekend at Saratoga Race Course.
At age 26 Medaglia d’Oro goes sturdy as a sire at Darley close to Lexington, the place he stands for $75,000.
On the observe some 20 years in the past, Medaglia d’Oro received a number of grade 1 races underneath the steering of coach Bobby Frankel. He loved wins within the 2002 Travers Stakes, 2003 Whitney Handicap, and 2004 Donn Handicap (all G1) however even with these large scores, there is a little bit of questioning what may have been. That is as a result of he additionally completed second in plenty of prime races—together with some runner-up finishes wherein his celebration was spoiled by some long-odds runners.
A kind of efforts occurred within the 2002 Belmont Stakes (G1). Racing for Edmund Gann, Medaglia d’Oro took command on the quarter pole of the 1 1/2-mile check solely to have 70-1 shot Sarava cut up horses transferring into the stretch. The 2 dueled in higher stretch earlier than Sarava lastly prevailed by a half-length on the wire.
Among the many different memorable runner-up finishes that may comply with for Medaglia d’Oro? He completed second in each the 2002 and 2003 editions of the Breeders’ Cup Traditional (G1) in addition to a runner-up end within the last begin of his profession within the 2004 Dubai World Cup (G1). Favored at 5-2 within the 2002 Breeders’ Cup at Arlington Worldwide Racecourse, Medaglia d’Oro defeated the sphere’s most-fancied runners solely to see Volponi register a stunning 6 1/2-length victory at odds of 43-1.Join BloodHorse Every day
Once more favored at 5-2 within the Breeders’ Cup Traditional the next yr at Santa Anita Park, Medaglia d’Oro would prevail in an early duel with Congaree solely to see Pleasantly Good, at 14-1, give coach Richard Mandella his fourth Breeders’ Cup win on the day. These two runners would duel within the stretch of the 2004 Dubai World Cup earlier than Pleasantly Good prevailed by three-quarters of a size.
At stud, Medaglia d’Oro has twice completed amongst North America’s main sires and is having fun with one other standout season in 2025. He ranks seventh on the overall sires record and he is tied with Into Mischief and Curlin for probably the most grade 1 winners this yr at two.
