September 14 2018

Medaglia d’Oro: he’s got the Midas touch

Only Northern Dancer and Storm Cat have sired more million-dollar yearlings in a single year

With Fasig-Tipton's July Sale just completed, all eyes are now set squarely on Fasig's Saratoga Sale next month. Darley stallions will be well represented once again but it's Medaglia d'Oro especially who will be on the receiving end of buyer's inspections.

Rewind for a moment back to last year's Saratoga sale which was the beginning of an exceptional yearling sale season for "MdO".

With four sale-toppers at Saratoga over the last 10 years, Medaglia d'Oro was represented in 2018 by the top-priced colt and the top-priced filly at $1.35 million and $1.3 million, respectively. With one additional seven-figure yearling, he finished with three of the five million-dollar purchases.

A month later at Keeneland's September Sale, Medaglia d'Oro soared into rarified air with five additional million-dollar yearlings bringing his 2018 tally to eight. Only the great Northern Dancer and Storm Cat have ever sired more in a single year.

And Medaglia d'Oro was tops among all active North American sires by number of million-dollar yearlings in 2018:

Sire	Million dollar yearlings in 2018
Medaglia d'Oro	8
American Pharoah	7
Tapit	6
Distorted Humor	5
War Front	5

Although you've probably seen the results, here again is the complete list of Medaglia d'Oro's eight million-dollar yearlings last year:

With an average of nearly $600,000 for 44 yearlings sold in 2018, Medaglia d'Oro finished second only behind War Front which put him one notch above Tapit who finished third.

Watch for the next group of golden yearlings selling at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga.