Monday, June 15, 2015

Gold Aly's First Winner

The first two-year-old race of the season was Saturday and the winner was Work With Me. The gelding is from Gold Aly's first-crop of horses. Below is an article I wrote for the WTBOA regarding Gold Aly before his first horses went through the sale in 2014. It can also be accessed here (with pictures): http://www.washingtonthoroughbred.com/magazine/NWStallionSpotlight/NW%20Stallion%20Spotlight_Aug'14.pdf

Congrats to Steve Meredith and the crew at Lucky Acres:

GOLD ALY
(2005 Medaglia d’Oro – Bangled by Alysheba)


At Tuesday’s WTBOA Sale, Gold Aly’s first yearlings will go through the ring. There are three yearling colts scheduled to be sold (Hips Nos. 26, 62 and 90).

Gold Aly is by the prolific sire Medaglia d’Oro. Medaglia d’Oro ran his first two races for owner Joyce Bell and trainer David Vance before being privately acquired by Edmund Gann who sent the fledgling colt to the great Bobby Frankel. Medaglia d’Oro won over $5.7 million dollars during his career including three Grade I races: The Travers and the Whitney and Donn Handicaps.  He also finished second two consecutive times in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. He finished his career by running a courageous second to Pleasantly Perfect in the 2004 Dubai World Cup.

Originally standing stud at Hill ‘N’ Dale farm in Lexington, Kentucky, Medaglia d’Oro was purchased by Darley in June 2009 to stand stud at Darley America.  He currently stands for $100,000. 

Originally known for just siring good females such as Rachel Alexandra and Plum Pretty, Medaglia d’Oro has sired good colts such as Violence, Al Khali and Warrior’s Reward.  At the time of this writing, Medaglia d’Oro is ranked No. 8 nationally in total earnings and has sired 11 Grade I winners, including Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra.

Medaglia d’Oro has strong Northwest connections.  Medaglia d’Oro’s dam is none other than Cappucino Bay, who was trained by 2014 Washington Hall of Fame nominee Marion L. Smith.  Cappucino Bay won the 1991 Mercer Girls Stakes at Longacres before going on to a reasonably successful racing career in California.  In addition, local bloodstock agent Claudia Canouse purchased Medaglia d’Oro’s second dam, Dubbed In, for $65,000 at the 1980 Keeneland November sale.  Dubbed In not only produced Balijumper, but also Maharesred who won the 1988 Joe Gottstein Futurity and participated in the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. 

Any thought about whether Medaglia d’Oro will be a good “sire of sires” should be extinguished by his son Warrior’s Reward, who is currently en fuego.  As of this writing, Warrior’s Reward has 7 first-out winners from only 18 starters, including Stakes Winner Strawberry Baby and 3 others who have placed in Stakes races, including Bad Read Sanchez who finished third in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes. Warrior’s Reward stands for $12,500 at Spendthrift Farm but that is likely going up.

Gold Aly’s dam, Bangled, is by Kentucky Derby winner Alysheba.  Bangled was purchased for $35,000 at the 1991 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.  Bangled is a half sister to Grecian Flight who won the Grade I Acorn and over $1.3 million.  After an unsuccessful attempt to make it to the track, she was sold at the 1995 Keeneland January Sale for $57,000 in foal to Wild Again.

Although Bangled was unraced she made up for it by being the dam of three black-type horses, including Grade III Stakes Winner and Grade I placed Anklet. Bangled had several offspring sell for six figures including Gold Aly.

Bred by Brylynn Farm, Inc., Gold Aly, from the first crop of Medaglia d’Oro, was purchased for $120,000 at the March 2008 Barrett’s Two-Year-Old in Training Sale.  Trained by Tim McCanna and owned by Bill Feeley and Ernie Turner, Gold Aly won two starts including a Maiden Special Weight score at Santa Anita and an Allowance victory at Hollywood Park. Gold Aly retired with $80,160 earnings. 
                                                           
Breeders should look at Gold Aly considering how desirable a cross he is to many of the mares out of our local stallions. Medaglia d’Oro has crossed well with mares sired by sons of Mr. Prospector including Gone West (Violence) and Seeking the Gold (Warrior’s Reward).  Both Violence and Warrior’s Reward are exciting young stallions.

Gold Aly is at Steve Meredith’s Lucky Acres in Yakima where he stands for a private fee.