Medaglia d'Oro (horse)

Medaglia d'Oro
Sire	El Prado
Grandsire	Sadler's Wells
Dam	Cappucino Bay
Damsire	Bailjumper
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1999
Country	United States
Colour	Dark Bay/Brown
Breeder	Albert & Joyce Bell
Owner	Edmund A. Gann
Trainer	Robert J. Frankel
Record	17: 8-7-0
Earnings	$5,754,720
Major wins
San Felipe Stakes (2002) Jim Dandy Stakes (2002) Travers Stakes (2002) Whitney Handicap (2003) Oaklawn Handicap (2003) Strub Stakes (2003) Donn Handicap (2004)
Last updated on August 29, 2008

Medaglia d'Oro (foaled 1999 in Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse. Bred by Albert & Joyce Bell, a translation of his Italian name means "Gold Medal." He was sired by Ireland's 1991 Champion 2-Year-Old, El Prado, who was a son of the fourteen-time Leading sire in Great Britain & Ireland, Sadler's Wells who in turn was a son of the 20th Century's most influential sire and sire of sires, Northern Dancer. Medaglia d'Oro's damsire Bailjumper was a son of U.S. Hall of Fame inductee, Damascus.

Sold to Edmund Gann after his winning three year old debut under trainer David Vance, then transferred to trainer Robert Frankel, Medaglia d'Oro finished second in his only race as a two-year-old in 2001.

2002 Triple Crown

Leading up to the 2002 U.S. Triple Crown series, Medaglia d'Oro won the San Felipe Stakes in California. In the first of the Triple Crown races, the 1¼ mile Kentucky Derby, Medaglia d'Oro was ridden by Laffit Pincay, Jr. to a fourth place finish. In the ensuing 1³/16 mile Preakness Stakes, he ran eighth under Jerry Bailey then with Kent Desormeaux as his jockey, Medaglia d'Oro finished second in the longest of the series, the 1½ mile Belmont Stakes. From there, Medaglia d'Oro went on to win the Grade II Jim Dandy Stakes, the Grade I Travers Stakes at Saratoga Race Course and earned a second in the Woodward Stakes in New York. Under jockey Jerry Bailey, Medaglia d'Oro ran second to Volponi in the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic

In 2003, Medaglia d'Oro was first or second in all five starts. Of his three wins, he won the Grade I Whitney Handicap and ran second to Pleasantly Perfect in the 2003 Breeders' Cup Classic. Sent back to the track in 2004, the five-year-old Medaglia d'Oro raced twice. He won January's Grade I Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Florida then at the end of March, in what would be his last race, he finished second to Pleasantly Perfect in the Dubai World Cup at Nad Al Sheba Racecourse in the United Arab Emirates.

In May 2004, Medaglia d'Oro was sold to Audrey Haisfield who retired him to stud duty beginning with the 2005 season. He stands at Haisfield's Stonewall Farm in Versailles, Kentucky. From his first crop born in 2006, he produced stakes winners, the most notable of which is the brillant filly, Rachel Alexandra.

References

• Medaglia d'Oro's pedigree and partial racing stats
• Video at YouTube of Medaglia d'Oro's win in the 2004 Grade I Donn Handicap
• Medaglia d'Oro at Stonewall Farm
• Medaglia d'Oro race results, video replays, pedigree, silks, news and progeny