August 8 2018

Million d’Ollar Man

Medaglia d'Oro yearlings top the sale at Fasig-Tipton Saratoga

2018 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sales topper

Before we get into the amazing results for Medaglia d'Oro at Saratoga's select yearling sale on August 8, perhaps a bit of a sales summary for 2018 for him is in order:

the $1.2 million co-topper at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream two-year-old sale
the $1.2 million sale topper at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic two-year-old sale
the $1.1 million sale topper at the OBS April two-year-old sale
the $1.6 million sale topper at Keeneland January horses of all ages sale

An incredible set of results that would be enviable for a stallion's career much less all taking place in one year. He is the leading sire in 2018 by two-year-old sales average.

And not so surprisingly, the results continued at the historic yearling sale at Fasig-Tipton in Saratoga. The seven-figure bonanza started off with Roy and Gretchen Jackson's Lael Stable going to $1 million for hip 143. This striking filly is the first foal out of the winning Distorted Humor mare Veracity, a full sister to Stakes winner Cheery, dam of Medaglia d'Oro's G1 Alabama Stakes winner Elate. Roy Jackson commented, "I thought she was awful nice. We thought she would be expensive. We liked the pedigree and liked her physically. She sort of struck us all the way around." Indian Creek was the consignor.

Roughly 50 hips later, the soon-to-be sale topper (hip 196) entered the ring, hailing from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment on behalf of WinStar Farm. The first foal out of the Stakes winning mare, Coco's Wildcat, caught the eye of many but eventually a partnership made up of Robert Masiello, Chris Larsen, Siena Farms and West Point Thoroughbreds went to $1.35 million to acquire the beautiful Medaglia d'Oro colt. Elliott Walden put it simply - "This colt has just been a star from day one."

Second highest price of the sale

It didn't take long for the tote board to light up again for an "MdO" as hip 204 strolled into the ring. Out of a half-sister to Classic winner Exaggerator, it was Amer Abdulaziz's Phoenix Thoroughbreds who won the bidding battle, settling on a final price of $1.3 million for the yearling filly. She will be trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen who commented, "She is a work of art and a beautiful filly. I don't think you are very likely to find another like her. She has a beautiful pedigree and, obviously, the physical to go with it. I think the filly is special in her own right and we are lucky to have her."

Among Medaglia d'Oro's other sales successes were a couple of colts which brought final bids of $635,000 and $500,000. He is currently the second-ranked yearling sire in North America with an average of $785,000, just $2,500 behind War Front.

Stud mate Hard Spun was also among the popular crowd exemplified by hip 239, an $850,000 colt from the consigment of Runneymede Farm. As they say, timing is everything, as the colt's half-brother, Collected, has made quite a name for himself in winning such races as the G1 Pacific Classic. The successful partnership of WinStar Farm and China Horse Club that raced Triple Crown winner Justify teamed up once again to garner the nice-looking colt. Michael Wallace, of China Horse Club, said, "There aren't many colts like him, so you have to use your judgment and buy the ones you really like."