Medaglia d'Oro

Medaglia d'Oro Before the Breeders' Cup Classic © Dave Shields 2003

Medaglia d'Oro was as consistent as they came, winning over $5.7 million and eight of seventeen starts in four years. He was owned by Edmund Gann throughout most of his career. Gann bought the son of El Prado after a maiden victory at Oaklawn Park early in 2002. The original reason for the purchase was to replace an injured Gann/Bobby Frankel Derby horse, Labamta Babe. Medaglia d'Oro made a quick return on the investment by capturing the San Felipe Stakes. He then finished second in the Wood Memorial (gr. I), fourth in the Kentucky Derby (gr. I), eighth in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I) and second in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) to Sarava.

Medaglia d'Oro finally broke through with a powerful 13 3/4 length victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga. He then knocked down the Travers Stakes (gr. I) and went into the 2002 Breeders' Cup Classic as the favorite. That race went to the huge longshot Volponi, so Medaglia d'Oro lost the three-year-old championship to War Emblem.

His four-year-old campaign opened with a win in the Strub Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita and followed that up with a win in the Oaklawn Park Handicap (gr. II) after bypassing both the Santa Anita Handicap and Dubai World Cup. After a win in the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga, he was once again favored for the big fall races. He was beaten by Candy Ride in the Pacific Classic, but still went into the Breeders' Cup Classic as the favorite. That race became quite memorable by the stretch duel in which Medaglia d'Oro and Congaree fought off the oncoming rush of Pleasantly Perfect. Medaglia d'Oro ended up second.

He started out his five-year-old campaign with a victory over 2003 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Funny Cide in the Donn Handicap (gr. I) at Gulfstream Park. Then he was shipped across the globe to compete in the Dubai World Cup (gr. I) where he again put on a memorable show, dueling down the stretch with Pleasantly Perfect and just losing at the wire. It would be his last race.

Medaglia d'Oro was retired in May and will stand at Hill 'n Dale Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, in 2005.