Alan Porter Breeding Analysis for Warrior's Reward

A grade one winning sprinter by young sire sensation Medaglia d’Oro, Warrior’s Reward is very similarly bred to Galileo, the horse widely regarded as the World’s leading sire.

Warrior’s Reward will be an intriguing sire to cross over mares from the Seattle Slew line. Medaglia d’Oro has sired three stakes winners out of Seattle Slew line mares; Warrior’s Reward’s broodmare sire, Seeking the Gold, is an excellent combination for Seattle Slew, and Warrior’s Reward’s second dam is by Seattle Dancer, a half-brother to Seattle Slew. Medaglia d’Oro already has Kentucky Oaks victress Plum Pretty out of a mare A.P. Indy (who can be brought in through Pulpit, Malibu Moon, Mineshaft, Stephen Got Even, Old Trieste, Jump Start and Aptitude), two stakes winners out mares by Capote (sire of Boston Harbor), and a stakes winner out of a mare by Fast Play (half-brother to Seeking the Gold). Warrior’s Reward should do well over mares by Slew o‘ Gold, Septieme Ciel, Slew City Slew, Doneraile Court, and Vindication (who looks particularly interesting here).

Seven of Medaglia d’Oro’s stakes winners are out of Mr. Prospector line mares. Warrior’s Reward himself is bred on the cross of a Northern Dancer line stallion over a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Seeking the Gold, but Exchange Rate and Pure Prize, who are both bred on this cross have done very well when crossed back over Mr. Prospector line mares. We can also note that there are already more than 60 stakes winners with Seeking the Gold in the sire, and Mr. Prospector in the dam, nine of them grade one winners. It would be very interesting to cross Warrior’s Reward with mares descending from Mr. Prospector through other Mr. Prospector/Buckpasser crosses, such as Woodman, Miswaki (broodmare sire of a stakes winner by El Prado, as is his son Black Tie Affair)and Mining ( broodmare sire of a stakes winner by El Prado).

Medaglia d’Oro and his sire El Prado have sired stakes winners out of mares descending from Mr. Prospector through Forty Niner (out of a mare by Roar, and potentially very good through Distorted Humor), Thunder Gulch (by Gulch), Jade Hunter, and Conquistador Cielo (out of a mare by Marquetry) – all by Medaglia d’Oro – Allen’s Prospect, Fortunate Prospect, Tank’s Prospect, Fappiano (through Quiet American, with Grindstone also looking a good source) and Crafty Prospector. Most other strains of Mr. Prospector should cross well here, but those with particular appeal include Gone West (including through Elusive Quality, Grand Slam, Speightstown and Mr. Greeley), Kingmambo and Lemon Drop Kid (who would both give linebreeding to the three-parts-brothers Sadler’s Wells and Nureyev), and Carson City. Northern Afleet and Afleet Alex also give Sadler’s Wells/Nureyev, and Geiger Counter gives inbreeding to the family of Sadler’s Wells. Warrior’s Reward should be particularly good with any Mr. Prospector/Northern Dancer crosses.

Mr. Prospector is by Raise a Native, and is bred on very similar lines to that horse’s son, Alydar. Medaglia d’Or has sired grade one winner Champagne d’Oro out of a mare by Saratoga Six, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Alysheba (duplicating the family of Sadler’s Wells). El Prado has a grade one winner out of a mare by Alydar son, Strike the Gold, and a graded winner out of a mare by Criminal Type. Warrior’s Reward should also be very well-suited by mares by Alydar son, Easy Goer (a parallel Raise a Native/Buckpasser cross to Seeking the Gold). Another product of the same Raise a Native/Buckpasser cross who could be tried here is Wavering Monarch (sire of Maria’s Mon).

Medaglia d’Oro is already showing a strong affinity for certain branches of the Hail to Reason line. He already has stakes winners from the Halo branch out of mares by Jolie’s Halo, and Devil His Due (by Devil’s Bag, a brother to Saint Ballado). Warrior’s Reward should also work well with mares by More Than Ready (by Southern Halo). From the Roberto branch of Hail to Reason, Medaglia d’Oro has a graded stakes winner out of mares by Kris S. (whose son, Prized is broodmare sire of El Prado grade one winner, Paddy O’Prado), who could be attractive through Arch. El Prado also has stakes winners out of mars by Roberto sons Lear Fan (duplicating the family of Sadler’s Wells), Dynaformer and Silver Hawk, and Red Ransom might also work. The Stop the Music branch of Hail to Reason is also promising here, and Medaglia d’Oro has a stakes winner out of a mare by Tethra (by Cure the Blues, also sire of the second dams of Rachel Alexandra and Gabby’s Golden Gal). American Chance (by Cure the Blues) should also work well here too. 

Medaglia d’Oro has sired graded stakes winner Medaglia d’Amour out of a mare by Blushing John, and stakes winner Our Golden Dream out of a mare by Rahy, both sons of Blushing Groom . There are also six stakes winners by El Prado out of mares from this line, from daughters of Rainbow Quest, Runaway Groom (sire of Cherokee Run) and Mt. Livermore.   

From his own Northern Dancer sire line, Medaglia d’Oro is sire of grade one winner Gabby’s Golden Gal out of a mare by Ashkalani, who is turn is by Soviet Star, a son of Nureyev (three-parts-brother to Sadler’s Wells). El Prado has a stakes winner out of a mare by Nureyev son Theatrical. There is also a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Dehere. He is a Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross, where El Prado is a Northern Dancer line horse out of a mare by a son of Sir Gaylord (half-brother to Secretariat). Another Northern Dancer/Secretariat cross that might work here is Storm Cat, with likely sources including Stormy Atlantic, Stormin Fever, Tale of the Cat, Storm Boot, Forest Wildcat, Forestry, Tabasco Cat, Mountain Cat and Menifee.