Darley's Medaglia d'Oro did not fare well in his own attempt in the 2002 Preakness Stakes (G1) but he has since sired a number of high-profile runners that have excelled at Pimlico Race Course.
The 22-year-old son of El Prado has the largest number of progeny that won or placed in stakes at Pimlico among the sires represented by this year's anticipated Preakness starters.
Klaravich Stables' Risk Taking will represent Medaglia d'Oro in the May 15 Preakness. Out of the stakes-placed Distorted Humor mare Run a Risk, Risk Taking won the Withers Stakes (G3) at Aqueduct Racetrack Feb. 6 and was unplaced in the Wood Memorial Stakes Presented by Resorts World Casino (G2) in his only starts at 3.
Rachel Alexandra, the 2009 Horse of the Year and champion 3-year-old filly, tops the list of Medaglia d'Oro's elite performers in Maryland. The filly raced initially by her breeder Dolphus Morrison and later Stonestreet Stables and Harold McCormick won the Preakness by a length over that year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) winner Mine That Bird. She became the first filly to win the second leg of the Triple Crown since Nellie Morse in 1924 and is one of six fillies to accomplish the feat. Trained by Steve Asmussen and ridden by Calvin Borel, Rachel Alexandra led at every point of call and earned a 116 Equibase Speed Figure.
Medaglia d'Oro had a big year at Pimlico in 2009 because he also sired Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) winner Payton d'Oro. The filly raced by John Ferris and Mike Pressley and trained by Larry Jones went on later to run second in the 2011 Allaire DuPont Distaff Stakes (G3) but that edition of the race was won by another Medaglia d'Oro daughter, Super Espresso. Two other Medaglia d'Oro fillies would place in the DuPont Distaff—Yahilwa (second, 2015) and Golden Award (second, 2019).
Other Medaglia d'Oro stakes performers at Pimlico include Tone It Down, who was third in the 2009 Federico Tesio Stakes, and Tarnished, who was third in the 2015 Primonetta Stakes.
Another sire with progeny that have excelled at Pimlico is WinStar Farm's Tiznow. The now-pensioned 2000 Horse of the Year never contested a Triple Crown race, reserving his best performances for the fall of his sophomore campaign, but he's sired plenty of stakes performers at the Baltimore track. His daughter Red Ruby won the 2018 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes and his son Da' Tara was second in the Barbaro Stakes in 2008 before scoring an upset in the Belmont Stakes (G1). Tiznow's other Pimlico stakes horses include Brimstone Island, second in the 2012 Canonero II Stakes; Conquest Windycity, third in the 2017 Pimlico Special Handicap (G3); and, Donworth, third in the 2015 Sir Barton Stakes.
Lecomte Stakes (G3) winner and Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (G2) runner-up Midnight Bourbon is by Tiznow out of the Malibu Moon daughter Catch the Moon. Midnight Bourbon was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings and is raced by Winchell Thoroughbreds, which bought the colt for $525,000 at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the Warrendale Sales consignment. Midnight Bourbon is half brother to grade 1 winner Girvin and grade 3 winners Cocked and Loaded and Pirate's Punch.
Other sires with strong Pimlico ties and a runner in the Preakness are 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah , who is the sire of Ram; and, Street Sense , winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby and second in the Preakness, who is the sire of Concert Tour. American Pharoah stands at Ashford Stud, while Street Sense stands at Darley.
