Bolt d’Oro
Bolt d’Oro
Champion Freshman Sire Of 2022
2015, Bay, 16.2h | Entered Stud: 2019 | Nominated to: Breeders' Cup, KTDF
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2025 Racing: Led by top 3yo fillies LOOK FORWARD-G2 ($505,675), winner of the $600,000 Eight Belles S. (G2) at Churchill Downs and $100,000 Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita, as well as a close runner-up in the Starlet S. (G2) at Los Alamitos; DREXEL HILL ($456,520), fast-charging runner-up in the prestigious Kentucky Oaks (G1) behind Good Cheer, and winner of the $200,000 Busher S. at Aqueduct; BOURBON MEMORY, impressive winner of the Serena’s Song S. at Turfway; Mahina, runner-up in the Megahertz S. (G3) & Possible Perfect S. at Santa Anita, etc.
2024 Racing: Led by millionaire MAJOR DUDE-G2 ($1,075,297), a four-time GSW and winner of the Ft. Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream to become a contender for the 2025 Pegasus World Cup Turf-G1; RUBY NELL-G2, winner of the Buena Vista S. (G2) at Santa Anita; BOLD DISCOVERY-G3, winner of the Amethyst S. (G3) at Leopardstown; 3yo colt FULMINEO, impressive winner of the James W. Murphy S. on Preakness Day at Pimlico and Boston S. at Colonial Downs; GENEROUS LOVER, romping 26 3/4-length winner of the Best of Ohio Distaff S. (94 Beyer), 12 1/4-length winner of the Pay the Man S., & Vivacious S.; MAMA’S GOLD, dominant 4 1/4-length winner of the $250,000 Empire Classic S. at Aqueduct (103 Beyer); 2yo filly Destino d’Oro, impressive debut winner at Kentucky Downs & placed in Keeneland’s Jessamine S. (G2) in her second start; Anywho, placed in Del Mar’s Rancho Bernardo H. (G3); Mahina, runner-up in Santa Anita’s Frankel S. (G3); TDN Rising Star Bolt d’Vine, impressive debut winner at Santa Anita; etc.
2024 Sales: Top 20 sire at the 2yo sales — $177,704 avg. from 39 sold — incl. a $1,250,000 Sale Topper at F-T Midlantic, a filly purchased by Winchell Thoroughbreds; $800,000 colt at OBSAPR purchased by Donato Lanni & Bob Baffert for Three Amigos; $460,000 filly at OBSAPR; $450,000 filly at OBSAPR; $450,000 filly at F-T Midlantic; $330,000 colt at OBSAPR, as well as international sales up to $432,194 at Arquana Breeze Up; Yearlings have sold up to $325,000.
2.91 CPI in 2024 – ranking in the top 20 among all North American sires by quality of racemares covered.
2023 Racing: 4 Graded SWs led by 2yo filly TAMARA-G1, winner of the Del Mar Debutante-G1; 3yo colt INSTANT COFFEE-G2, winner of the Lecomte-G3 at Fair Grounds; 3yo colt MAJOR DUDE-G2, winner of the Kitten’s Joy-G3 at Gulfstream, the Penn Mile-G2, and runner-up in the Jeff Ruby Steaks-G3 at Turfway; 3yo filly RUBY NELL-G3, winner of the Autumn Miss-G3 at Santa Anita while running a mile in 1:32.67 (95 Beyer); Other first-crop 3yo fillies include Flashy Gem and THIRTY THOU KELVIN, the second-place and third-place finishers, respectively, in the Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway; Other first-crop 3yo colts incl. top sprinter CORONA BOLT, winner of Keeneland’s $300,000 Lafayette S.; European miler BOLD DISCOVERY, winner of Curragh’s Dubai Duty Free S.; BOPPY O, winner of the Jersey Derby, etc.
2023 Sales: 2yo fillies sold up to $850,000, 2yo colts up to $700,000; yearling colts sold up to $460,000, yearling fillies up to $335,000; weanling colts sold up to $250,000, weanling fillies sold up to $250,000.
CHAMPION FRESHMAN SIRE IN NORTH AMERICA IN 2022 — $2,748,980 in first-crop 2yo earnings (No. 2 Juvenile Sire among all North American stallions, only behind the record-setting Into Mischief).
29 Juvenile Winners in 2022 — top 5 among all North American sires, 15 Black Type 2YOs & 7 Graded 2YOs — both No. 1 among all North American sires, led by Churchill G2 winner INSTANT COFFEE, winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club-G2; Belmont G2 winner MAJOR DUDE, winner of the Pilgrim-G2; Saratoga G3 winner BOPPY O, winner of the With Anticipation-G3; Fair Grounds SW CORONA BOLT (97 Beyer); Graded SP juveniles From Dusk, Agency, Bolt’s Broad, Bold Discovery, etc.
$247,511 FIRST-CROP 2YO AVG. IN 2022 (only Justify’s avg. is higher [$150,000 fee]) from 49 first-crop 2-year-olds sold including: $1,200,000 filly – F-T Gulfstream sale topper – (breezed 20.2 – fastest quarter ever at the sale), $900,000 colt (breezed 9.4), $675,000 colt, $675,000 colt, $650,000 filly (breezed 9.4), $600,000 colt (breezed 9.4), $500,000 colt, $450,000 filly, $400,000 colt (breezed 20.4), $400,000 colt, etc.
$1.4 MILLION first-crop colt at F-T Saratoga Select — joining Justify & City of Light as the only freshman sires with a seven-figure yearling in 2021. “He’s a special horse, special opportunity. Frankly, it’s 90% physical. However, I love Medaglia d’Oro, and Bolt d’Oro is close. Clearly the standout in the sale.” —Buyer Larry Best of OXO Equine.
Rated a TDN ‘Value Sire’ for 2023 by Chris McGrath:
“15 black-type performers overall for Bolt d’Oro represent an outstanding 19 percent of starters. His $2.76 million doesn’t measure up to the freakish tally posted by Gun Runner in 2021, but would have beaten the runner-up and has also surpassed Nyquist in 2020”
—Chris McGrath
9 first-crop sales horses of $500,000+.
Top 3 freshman sire of yearlings in 2021, averaging $155,097 from 97 sold, incl. 13 sales of $300k+, 18 sales of $250k+ and 27 sales of $200k+: $1,400,000, $550,000, $550,000, $500,000, $475,000, $375,000, $350,000, $310,000, $310,000, $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $275,000, $270,000, $260,000, $250,000, $250,000, etc.
First yearlings ROI of 6.2 times the $25,000 bred-on fee, second only to City of Light among freshman sires in 2021.
Buyers of his first yearlings: Donato Lanni, Mike Ryan, Larry Best, Mike Repole / Vinnie Viola, Michael Lund Petersen, Spendthrift, WinStar, Breeze Easy, John Oxley, Ken McPeek, Frankie Brothers, Solis/Litt, Starlight/Harrell, West Point, Peter Brandt, Woodford Thoroughbreds, William Warren, Bridlewood/Madaket, Cash Is King, Barry Berkelhammer, Ciaran Dunne, Christina Jelm, etc.
Top 5 freshman sire of weanlings in 2020, averaging $93,136 from 22 sold incl. individual lots up to $280,000, $280,000, $225,000, $180,000, etc.
At 2: Won the 7f Del Mar Futurity (G1) in second start in 1:22 4/5, overcoming a poor start and wide trip to defeat a quality field.
Dominated the 8.5f FrontRunner (G1) at Santa Anita in third start in a sizzling 1:43 1/5, drawing off by 7 ¾ lengths in his first try around two turns.
Historic 2yo speed figures: 103 Beyer — fastest by a 2yo since 2014; 4 ¾ Ragozin & -1 ½ Thoro-Graph — both fastest by a 2yo in 2017 and fastest in recent years.
Eye-catching Del Mar debut MdSpWt winner at 6.5f; unlucky third in Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) as the race’s biggest favorite since Dehere in 1993.
At 3: First in the Santa Anita Derby (G1), earning a 102 Beyer. Also won the San Felipe (G2) over G1 winner McKinzie, earning a 101 Beyer in 3yo debut.
$630,000 Saratoga Select yearling out of the multiple graded stakes-producing A.P. Indy mare Globe Trot, from a deep Claiborne female family.
Earned $1,016,000 — $576,000 as a 2yo. No son of Medaglia d’Oro possesses his combination of pedigree, physique, speed, class and precociousness.
The greatest start by a 2yo that American racing had seen since Uncle Mo, and the fastest 2yo colt since Uncle Mo.
Covered a full book of mares in each of his first six years at stud.
| Age | Starts | 1st (SW) | 2nd (SP) | 3rd (SP) | Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 4 | 3 ( 2 ) | 0 | 1 ( 1 ) | $576,000 |
| 3 | 4 | 1 ( 1 ) | 1 ( 1 ) | 0 | $440,000 |
| Totals | 8 | 4 | 1 | 1 | $1,016,000 |
Racing Highlights
Won at 2
- FrontRunner S. at Santa Anita (G1, 8.5f, by 7 ¾ lengths, defeating Solomini, Take the One O One, Zatter, etc.)
- Del Mar Futurity at Del Mar (G1, 7f, by ¾ of a length, defeating Zatter, Run Away, Tatters to Riches, Soul Street, etc.)
- Maiden Special Weight at Del Mar (6.5f by 2 ¼ lengths, defeating Bank Walker, Runaway Saturday, etc.)
3rd at 2
- Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at Del Mar (G1, 8.5f, to Good Magic, defeating Firenze Fire, U S Navy Flag, Free Drop Billy, The Tabulator, etc.)
Won at 3
- San Felipe S. at Santa Anita (G2, 8.5f, defeating McKinzie, Kanthaka, Lombo, Peace, etc.)
2nd at 3
- Santa Anita Derby at Santa Anita (G1, 9f, to Justify, defeating Core Beliefs, Instilled Regard, etc.)
Pedigree
Alan Porter’s 2024 Breeding Analysis for Bolt d’Oro
A brilliant multiple winner of three grade one events at two and three, and the Leading Freshman Sire of his crop, Bolt d’Oro is by Medaglia d’Oro out of a multiple stakes-producing A.P. Indy mare.
Bolt d’Oro’s spectacular grade one winning juvenile Tamara is out of a mare by Henny Hughes, a son of Hennessy, and he also has graded winner Boppy O out of a mare by Hennessy grandson, Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg). There is also a Medaglia d’Oro line grade one winner out of a mare by a Storm Cat son, Bluegrass Cat, and stakes winners out of mares by Tale of the Cat (a close relative to Johannesburg, and sire of Lion Heart and Gio Ponti, and grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured), Stormy Atlantic (from the same family as Sadler’s Wells, who is in the male line of Medaglia d’Oro), Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat), Giant’s Causeway (sire of Not This Time, Creative Cause, First Samurai and Eskendereya).
Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed tremendous success when crossed with Mr. Prospector line mares. On this cross, Medaglia d’Oro’s magnificent daughters, Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, are out of Forty Niner line mares, and Bolt d’Oro’s multiple graded stakes winning son, Major Dude, is out of a mare by Distorted Humor (sire of multiple stakes winner Sonic Mule out of the dam of Bolt d’Oro, and available through Any Given Saturday, who gives a very interesting pedigree pattern, as well as Sharp Humor, Drosselmeyer, Flower Alley, Jimmy Creed and Maclean’s Music). Distorted Humor is very similarly bred to Fusaichi Pegasus, and there is a stakes winner by Bolt d’Oro out of a mare by the Fusaichi Pegasus son, Bandini (from the same family as Sadler’s Wells, who is in the male line of Bolt d’Oro). Bolt d’Oro’s extremely talented graded stakes winning daughter, Ruby Nell is out of a mare by Not For Love (a three-quarters brother to Woodman).
There are Medaglia d’Oro line grade one winners out of mares by Machiavellian (sire of Street Cry; grandsire of Street Sense); Gone West, who is sire of Elusive Quality – the broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner – and sire of Quality Road, Mr. Greeley, Grand Slam (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro graded winner) and Speightstown (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner); Thunder Gulch (sire of Point Given, also broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line graded stakes winner); Lemon Drop Kid and Seeking the Gold (sire of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town).
From other Mr. Prospector line mares, there are also Medaglia d’Oro line graded winners from daughters of Smart Strike (sire of Curlin – responsible for grade one winner Global Campaign out of the dam of Bolt d’Oro – English Channel and Lookin At Lucky), Jade Hunter and Smoke Glacken, and stakes winners from daughters of City Zip (by Carson City, sire of Pollard’s Vision, Cuvee and Five Star Day) Marquetry, Woodman and Trippi.
From the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector, there are three stakes winners, one graded, out of mares by Unbridled, and out of mares by that horse’s sons, three stakes winners from daughters of Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister; grandsire of American Pharoah, Cairo Prince and Classic Empire) and three stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled’s Song (sire of Cross Traffic, Dunkirk, Eurosilver, Even the Score, First Defence, Half Ours, Midshipman (broodmare sire of Bolt d’Oro multiple stakes winner Thirty Thou Kelvin), Old Fashioned, Rockport Harbor, Songandaprayer and Zensational). Another son of Unbridled who could be considered is Broken Vow. From other branches of Fappiano, there is a Bolt d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Quiet American(grandsire of Midnight Lute), a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner out of a mare Victory Gallop (by Cryptoclearance, grandsire of Candy Ride), and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling and Burning Roma).
Bolt d’Oro first crop multiple graded stakes winner Instant Coffee is out of a mare by Uncle Mo (sire of Nyquist, Laoban and Outwork). Uncle Mo is by Indian Charlie, also sire of Adios Charlie, Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie.
Bolt d’Oro is out of a mare by A.P. Indy, a son of Seattle Slew, and he should work well under other branches of Seattle Slew. Those that have provided the dams of Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners include Vindication, Capote (sire of Boston Harbor), Avenue of Flags, Fast Play, Williamstown, and Doneraile Court. It also might be feasible to consider mares by A.P. Indy grandsons such as Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Tapizar, Tonalist, Tapiture, Cupid and Trappe Shot), Sky Mesa, Dialed In, Algorithms (sire of a stakes winner from this family), Discreetly Mine, Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve.
Medaglia d’Oro has a Grade one and a Grade two winner out of mares by Kris S. (sire of Arch – himself sire of a Bolt d’Oro stakes winner – and grandsire of Blame, who should work well here) and a stakes winner out of a mare by his son Rock Hard Ten, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Dynaformer, all from the Roberto branch of Hail to Reason. From the Halo branch of Hail to Reason, Medaglia d’Oro has a graded stakes winners out of a mare by Devil His Due (by Devil’s Bag, a brother to Saint Ballado), and from the Stop the Music branch, he has a stakes winner out of a mare by Cure the Blues, also sire of the second dam of Rachel Alexandra.
From his own Northern Dancer line, Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed success with the Danzig branch, with a champion from a Danehill mare, and several other major winners out of mares by sons of that horse; a grade one winner from a Belong to Me mare, and a graded winner out of a Pine Bluff mare. We might also consider daughters of War Front (sire of two stakes winners from Bolt d’Oro’s family), Hard Spun, Exchange Rate and War Chant (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro graded winner). From the Danzig line, Bolt d’Oro has a stakes winner out of a mare by Danzig grandson, Bellamy Road. Medaglia d’Oro is a Sadler’s Wells line horse, and he has a grade one winner out of a mare by Ashkalani, from the male line of Nureyev, a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells, and there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Nureyev son Theatrical.
There has also been success for Medaglia d’Oro with Blushing Groom line mares, including via Rahy and Runaway Groom (sire of Cherokee Run; grandsire of Kafwain, War Pass and Yonaguska).
Alan Porter’s 2024 Breeding Analysis for Bolt d’Oro
A brilliant multiple winner of three grade one events at two and three, and the Leading Freshman Sire of his crop, Bolt d’Oro is by Medaglia d’Oro out of a multiple stakes-producing A.P. Indy mare.
Bolt d’Oro’s spectacular grade one winning juvenile Tamara is out of a mare by Henny Hughes, a son of Hennessy, and he also has graded winner Boppy O out of a mare by Hennessy grandson, Scat Daddy (by Johannesburg). There is also a Medaglia d’Oro line grade one winner out of a mare by a Storm Cat son, Bluegrass Cat, and stakes winners out of mares by Tale of the Cat (a close relative to Johannesburg, and sire of Lion Heart and Gio Ponti, and grandsire of Kantharos and Uncaptured), Stormy Atlantic (from the same family as Sadler’s Wells, who is in the male line of Medaglia d’Oro), Forest Wildcat (sire of Wildcat Heir and D’Wildcat), Giant’s Causeway (sire of Not This Time, Creative Cause, First Samurai and Eskendereya).
Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed tremendous success when crossed with Mr. Prospector line mares. On this cross, Medaglia d’Oro’s magnificent daughters, Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, are out of Forty Niner line mares, and Bolt d’Oro’s multiple graded stakes winning son, Major Dude, is out of a mare by Distorted Humor (sire of multiple stakes winner Sonic Mule out of the dam of Bolt d’Oro, and available through Any Given Saturday, who gives a very interesting pedigree pattern, as well as Sharp Humor, Drosselmeyer, Flower Alley, Jimmy Creed and Maclean’s Music). Distorted Humor is very similarly bred to Fusaichi Pegasus, and there is a stakes winner by Bolt d’Oro out of a mare by the Fusaichi Pegasus son, Bandini (from the same family as Sadler’s Wells, who is in the male line of Bolt d’Oro). Bolt d’Oro’s extremely talented graded stakes winning daughter, Ruby Nell is out of a mare by Not For Love (a three-quarters brother to Woodman).
There are Medaglia d’Oro line grade one winners out of mares by Machiavellian (sire of Street Cry; grandsire of Street Sense); Gone West, who is sire of Elusive Quality – the broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner – and sire of Quality Road, Mr. Greeley, Grand Slam (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro graded winner) and Speightstown (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner); Thunder Gulch (sire of Point Given, also broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line graded stakes winner); Lemon Drop Kid and Seeking the Gold (sire of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town).
From other Mr. Prospector line mares, there are also Medaglia d’Oro line graded winners from daughters of Smart Strike (sire of Curlin – responsible for grade one winner Global Campaign out of the dam of Bolt d’Oro – English Channel and Lookin At Lucky), Jade Hunter and Smoke Glacken, and stakes winners from daughters of City Zip (by Carson City, sire of Pollard’s Vision, Cuvee and Five Star Day) Marquetry, Woodman and Trippi.
From the Fappiano branch of Mr. Prospector, there are three stakes winners, one graded, out of mares by Unbridled, and out of mares by that horse’s sons, three stakes winners from daughters of Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister; grandsire of American Pharoah, Cairo Prince and Classic Empire) and three stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled’s Song (sire of Cross Traffic, Dunkirk, Eurosilver, Even the Score, First Defence, Half Ours, Midshipman (broodmare sire of Bolt d’Oro multiple stakes winner Thirty Thou Kelvin), Old Fashioned, Rockport Harbor, Songandaprayer and Zensational). Another son of Unbridled who could be considered is Broken Vow. From other branches of Fappiano, there is a Bolt d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Quiet American(grandsire of Midnight Lute), a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner out of a mare Victory Gallop (by Cryptoclearance, grandsire of Candy Ride), and a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Rubiano (sire of Too Much Bling and Burning Roma).
Bolt d’Oro first crop multiple graded stakes winner Instant Coffee is out of a mare by Uncle Mo (sire of Nyquist, Laoban and Outwork). Uncle Mo is by Indian Charlie, also sire of Adios Charlie, Bwana Charlie, Liaison and Cinco Charlie.
Bolt d’Oro is out of a mare by A.P. Indy, a son of Seattle Slew, and he should work well under other branches of Seattle Slew. Those that have provided the dams of Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners include Vindication, Capote (sire of Boston Harbor), Avenue of Flags, Fast Play, Williamstown, and Doneraile Court. It also might be feasible to consider mares by A.P. Indy grandsons such as Tapit (sire of Constitution, Frosted, Tapizar, Tonalist, Tapiture, Cupid and Trappe Shot), Sky Mesa, Dialed In, Algorithms (sire of a stakes winner from this family), Discreetly Mine, Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve.
Medaglia d’Oro has a Grade one and a Grade two winner out of mares by Kris S. (sire of Arch – himself sire of a Bolt d’Oro stakes winner – and grandsire of Blame, who should work well here) and a stakes winner out of a mare by his son Rock Hard Ten, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Dynaformer, all from the Roberto branch of Hail to Reason. From the Halo branch of Hail to Reason, Medaglia d’Oro has a graded stakes winners out of a mare by Devil His Due (by Devil’s Bag, a brother to Saint Ballado), and from the Stop the Music branch, he has a stakes winner out of a mare by Cure the Blues, also sire of the second dam of Rachel Alexandra.
From his own Northern Dancer line, Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed success with the Danzig branch, with a champion from a Danehill mare, and several other major winners out of mares by sons of that horse; a grade one winner from a Belong to Me mare, and a graded winner out of a Pine Bluff mare. We might also consider daughters of War Front (sire of two stakes winners from Bolt d’Oro’s family), Hard Spun, Exchange Rate and War Chant (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro graded winner). From the Danzig line, Bolt d’Oro has a stakes winner out of a mare by Danzig grandson, Bellamy Road. Medaglia d’Oro is a Sadler’s Wells line horse, and he has a grade one winner out of a mare by Ashkalani, from the male line of Nureyev, a three-quarters brother to Sadler’s Wells, and there is also a stakes winner out of a mare by Nureyev son Theatrical.
There has also been success for Medaglia d’Oro with Blushing Groom line mares, including via Rahy and Runaway Groom (sire of Cherokee Run; grandsire of Kafwain, War Pass and Yonaguska).
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