Bolt d'Oro Half to Rachel Alexandra Brings $1.4 Million

The Saratoga Sale was only 14 hips in during its Aug. 10 second session when a Bolt d'Oro   half brother to Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra  made the bid board climb to $1.4 million. 

Larry Best of OXO Equine was the winning bidder for the colt consigned as Hip 132 by Hill 'n' Dale Sales Agency to Fasig-Tipton's selected yearlings sale in New York. The colt is from the first crop of Spendthrift Farm stallion Bolt d'Oro, who, like Rachel Alexandra, is sired by Medaglia d'Oro  . 

"He's a special horse, special opportunity. Obviously no guarantees," said Best, who stretched beyond his expectation of paying between $1 million and $1.2 million. "The horse is just beautiful. Look at the page with Rachel Alexandra on it. Frankly, it's 90% physical. However, I love Medaglia d'Oro and Bolt d'Oro is close. The page looked good, and it's clearly the standout in the sale. Somebody may pay more for a horse, and they already have, but this horse will need a little time."

Hip 132 was bred in Kentucky by Heaven Trees Farm out of the Roar mare Lotta Kim , whose daughter Rachel Alexandra bested males to win the BlackBerry Preakness Stakes (G1), Haskell Invitational Stakes (G1), and Woodward Stakes (G1) in 2009. The star race mare won 13 of 19 starts and more than $3.5 million in earnings. In addition to being named the 2009 Horse of the Year, she took honors as that season's champion 3-year-old filly. Lotta Kim also produced grade 3-placed Dolphus   and stakes-placed Wooderson , while Rachel Alexandra produced Spinaway Stakes (G1) winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) second Rachel's Valentina . 

"This horse is a beautiful, classy, long, smooth, gorgeous animal," said Hill 'n' Dale's John Sikura. 

"This colt was high-class, very popular; we had high expectations," Sikura added. "To a degree, you would say he exceeded them, but I'm not surprised that he's a million-dollar horse. If it wasn't a freshman sire, I think he might have kept going."

Best's purchase of the Bolt d'Oro colt, his first of the two-day sale, came shortly after a Quality Road   colt that he bred was purchased for $800,000 by Maverick Racing, the racing arm of WinStar Farm. The OXO Equine-bred was consigned as Hip 114 by Taylor Made Sales Agency. Out of the stakes-winning Malibu Moon mare Hung the Moon , he is a half brother to Best's grade 1-placed stakes winner Brill . 

"I sold one out of a mare I paid a lot less for. I'm ahead of the game a little bit, but not this much," Best said after going to six figures for Hip 132. "I need a lot of luck on this one."