Bolt d'Oro two-year-olds make mark on turf, overseas

TwinSpires.com is following prominent first-crop sires whose two-year-olds are hitting the track this season. Winners for Bolt d’Oro have also been profiled in two previous articles.

Seven-year-old stallion Bolt d’Oro continues to rank among the top echelon of first-crop sires. As of Nov. 16, he had re-taken the lead on the leading first-crop sire table; the total Northern Hemisphere earnings of his first two-year-olds of $1,963,665 was about $6,300 more than that earned by Justify’s progeny.

Since our last update on Sept. 15, Bolt d’Oro added six more winners to bring his total to 21 from 67 runners, with one of those victories coming in the Pilgrim S. (G2) at Belmont.

Major Dude a major player on turf

The Todd Pletcher trainee Major Dude, out of the Distorted Humor mare Mary Rita, triumphed in the 1 1/16-mile turf event, beating out I’m Very Busy by a length in his first try on grass. Previously, the colt had placed third in the Sapling S. at Monmouth Park and was sixth in the Sanford S. (G3) at Saratoga after breaking his maiden on debut at Monmouth on June 18.

Major Dude earned a trip to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) at Keeneland on Nov. 4 with his victory in the Pilgrim, but was a disappointing ninth in the Breeders’ Cup event, in which he yielded when floated five wide leaving the quarter pole and kept on between horses.

Bolt d’Oro had another runner on the Breeders’ Cup undercard on Nov. 5, with first-time starter Rocket and Roll placing sixth of 11 horses in a $150,000 maiden special weight run at seven furlongs.

Bolt d’Oro’s first stakes winner, Mounsieur Coco, was an also-eligible for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1) but did not run in the 5 1/2-furlong race.

From Dusk, Bold Discovery shine on international circuit

Outside of North America, Bolt d’Oro has also produced a number of stakes-placed runners in Europe and Asia.

From Dusk, out of Foolish Cause by Giant’s Causeway, recently finished second in the Keio Hai Nisai S. (G2) at Tokyo on Nov. 5. That followed a troubled trip on Sept. 24, when he hopped at the start in his first try against winners and came home last of 10.

From Dusk graduated at first asking in a 1,200-meter maiden race at Kokura Racecourse in Japan on Sept. 3, sent off as the 9-10 favorite in the maiden special weight event over a yielding turf course. The dark bay colt set the pace before winning by three-quarters of a length, becoming Bolt d’Oro’s 13th winner at the time and first Japanese starter.

From Dusk was initially sold for $200,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Sale and was knocked down to trainer Hideyuki Mori at the 2022 OBS March Sale for $900,000.

In Ireland, another Bolt d’Oro baby, Bold Discovery, finished third in the Killavullan S. (G3) at Leopardstown on Oct. 15.

Out of the Arch mare Caribbean Babe, Bold Discovery set the pace in the seven-furlong sprint but was overtaken by winner Cairo and beaten a neck by second-place finisher and Cairo stablemate Sierra Blanca.

Bold Discovery became Bolt d’Oro’s first European winner when sent off at 15-2 odds in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden at Naas. He quickly established a lead and crossed the finish line with 2 1/2 lengths between him and Peking Opera.

Two more Bolt d’Oro offspring were stakes-placed in October, with Bolt’s Broad, a filly trained by Shelbe Ruis, coming home third in the Surfer Girl S. (G3) at Santa Anita on Oct. 9, and Ever a Rebel finishing third in the Ontario Racing S. at Woodbine the day before.

Leading lifetime runners and upcoming entries

To date, Major Dude ranks first in earnings by Bolt d’Oro offspring, with $175,250 from a 5-2-0-1 record. Bobby O is second with $145,250 from a 5-2-0-0 record, and Owen’s Leap has earned $104,160 with a second in the Bashford Manor S. at Churchill Downs on July 4 and a win in a maiden special weight at the same track on May 27.

Upcoming entries include Shortsinthewinter, out of a Broken Vow mare, who will make his fifth career start at Finger Lakes following four out-of-the-money finishes, all at New York racetracks.

Moment to Shine is a filly out of a Speightstown mare who will make her first career start at Churchill Downs on Nov. 16 in a six-furlong maiden special weight, and Christian d’Oro will make her debut in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint at Zia Park Nov. 21.