New River Equine Scores $1.1M Medaglia d'Oro Filly

Bidding was fast and furious in the early afternoon of the Sept. 11 third session of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale as trainer Ben Colebrook and owner/breeder Mike Ball went to $1.1 million for a filly by Medaglia d'Oro  in the name of New River Equine. 

"We all got together and liked the filly," said Colebrook, who added it was the first opportunity in his career to purchase a horse for seven figures. "We thought she was a very good walker and loved the way she moved. She was probably our pick of the sale." 

Consigned as Hip 420 by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for breeders Aaron and Marie Jones, the filly was bred in Kentucky and is the first foal out of the Ghostzapper  mare Gloryzapper, winner of the 2016 L.A. Woman Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park and a half sister to Schuylerville Stakes (G3) runner-up Banree. The filly's third dam, Royally Chosen, was a multiple stakes winner and grade 1-placed.

Gloryzapper foaled a filly by the late Pioneerof the Nile March 3. The mare was bred to Tapit  in 2019. 

"We are delighted," Marie Jones said. "She is just beautiful. We're very happy with what we got for her and that she is going to a great home. Oh my gosh, from her pedigree to just how she stood, she was beautiful. She was absolutely gorgeous. We watched her every day outside, and she has a very strong mind, and I think she'll be a great, great filly for the new owners. (The price) was what I was expecting with her conformation."

The filly was one of eight yearlings to crack the seven-figure mark on a day topped by an $8.2 million American Pharoah  filly purchased by Whisper Hill Farm. 

"Obviously, it's kind of stressful," Colebrook said. "We knew she would be expensive and that we would have to stretch to get her, but we liked the filly and the pedigree and thought she was an athletic filly—something that we wanted to get in the barn and try to race. 

"A million was where we thought we'd be, in my opinion. In this market, you have to stretch for what you want. It's very strong. She'll go to the farm (Donamire) and we'll break her here, and she'll come to me at some point. Hopefully, we'll have some fun with her."