Milestones: 100 stakes winners for Medaglia d'Oro daughters
25-year-old stallion is the latest to achieve triple-triple
By Frances J. Karon
Darley America flagbearer Medaglia d’Oro has joined an exclusive group of stallions to reach 100 black-type winners as both a sire and broodmare sire, following West Omaha’s emphatic win in the Silverbulletday Stakes at Fair Grounds this afternoon. The West Coast 3-year-old filly races for owner/breeder Gary and Mary West, and she’s trained by Brad Cox.
MEDAGLIA D’ORO (1999 El Prado – Cappucino Bay, by Bailjumper)
B: Albert Bell & Joyce Bell
O: Edmund A. Gann (originally owned by Joyce Bell)
T: Bobby Frankel (originally trained by David Vance)
Record: 17-8-7-0, $5,754,720
Highest achievement: Grade 1 winner
Medaglia d’Oro is best known as the sire of Horses of the Year Rachel Alexandra (in the U.S.), Wonder Gadot (Canada), and Golden Sixty (Hong Kong) among his 176 stakes winners. (A number that will, of course, increase since he’s still an active breeding stallion, standing this season for $75,000.) Rachel Alexandra has done her part to contribute to Medaglia d’Oro’s accomplishment of the triple-triple as the dam of Grade 1 winner Rachel’s Valentina, one of the milestone 100 stakes winners (40 Graded/Group) produced by his daughters.
By my unofficial count of current and historical horses, of the 72 individual stallions from North America, Ireland, England, France, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina I found who have sired at least 100 black-type winners, Medaglia d’Oro is the 43rd to attain this triple-triple, joining former Darley America stablemates Elusive Quality (sire of 136 stakes winners; broodmare sire of 170) and Street Cry (134 stakes winners; broodmare sire of 151). In Europe, Darley also developed Shamardal (167 stakes winners; broodmare sire of 101) and Singspiel (100 stakes winners; broodmare sire of 116).
While large numbers of stakes winners are easier to reach in today’s climate of large books and stallion shuttling, it remains a notable feat. And there are a few more big-name sires on the cusp of a 100th stakes winner as broodmare sire, so the list will soon be growing.