Tunwoo

PEDIGREE ANALYSISby Alan Porter

“A $775,000 yearling, Tunwoo showed brilliance, working bullets at Santa Anita for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert, before injury ended a potentially outstanding career. By Medaglia d’Oro out of a half-sister to the graded winning and grade one performing Chitu, Tunwoo is bred on the same Medaglia d’Oro/A.P. Indy cross as Kentucky Oaks (G1) victress Plum Pretty, and the multiple grade one winning juvenile, and exciting young sire prospect, Bolt d’Oro.”

Medaglia d’Oro has enjoyed tremendous success when crossed with Mr. Prospector line mares. The Forty Niner line branch has supplied Medaglia d’Oro’s magnificent daughters, Rachel Alexandra and Songbird, one out of a mare by Roar and another out of a mare by West Acre. There are also two Medaglia d’Oro grade one winners out of mares from Forty Niner son, Distorted Humor, and stakes winners out of mares by Trippi (by End Sweep) and Editor’s Note. It would be possible to bring in Forty Niner though Coronado's Quest, End Sweep, Twining, Tactical Advantage, Flower Alley, Any Given Saturday, Sharp Humor and Peace Rules.

From other branches of Mr. Prospector, there is a Champion Two-Year-Old by Medaglia d’Oro out of a mare by Thunder Gulch (by Gulch, and himself sire of Point Given), and there are Medaglia d’Oro line grade one winners out of mares by Machiavellian (sire of Street Cry; grandsire of Street Sense and Street Boss), Gone West (who is sire of Elusive Quality, Mr. Greeley, Grand Slam and Speightstown), Lemon Drop Kid and Seeking the Gold (sire of Mutakddim, Petionville and Cape Town). There are also graded winners from daughters of Smart Strike (sire of Curlin, Lookin At Lucky and English Channel), Jade Hunter and Smoke Glacken, and stakes winners from daughters of Carson City (sire of Boone's Mill, Flying Chevron, Good and Tough, Lord Carson and Cuvee), Miswaki, Marquetry (sire of Artax) and Woodman. From the Fappiano line there are Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winners out of mares by Unbridled and his sons Empire Maker (sire of Pioneerof the Nile and Bodemeister) and Unbridled’s Song, Quiet American (grandsire of Midnight Lute) and Victory Gallop (by Cryptoclearance, also grandsire of Candy Ride). Unbridled is also sire of Broken Vow, Red Bullet, Untuttable and Spanish Steps. Unbridled’s Song could also be brought in through Songandaprayer, Buddha, Dunkirk – who gives inbreeding to A.P. Indy – Eurosilver, First Defence – who gives inbreeding to Seattle Slew – Half Ours, Even the Score, Old Fashioned, Rockport Harbor, Werblin and Zensational.

Mr. Prospector is by Raise a Native, and is bred on very similar lines to that horse's son, Alydar. Medaglia d'Or has sired grade one winner Champagne d'Oro out of a mare by Saratoga Six, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Alysheba (duplicating the family of Sadler's Wells). El Prado has a grade one winner out of a mare by Alydar son, Strike the Gold, and a graded winner out of a mare by Criminal Type. There is a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Alydar son, Jeblar, and mares carrying Easy Goer might also work. Another product of the Raise a Native line who could be tried here is Wavering Monarch, whose son Maria's Mon is broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner. Maria’s Mon can be brought in through Super Saver, who could be particularly interesting, as like Tunwoo, he is out of a mare by A.P. Indy.

The presence of A. P. Indy, a son of Seattle Slew, as the broodmare sire of Tunwoo indicates that Tunwoo could work well over mares from other branches of Seattle Slew. Those that have provided the dams of Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners include Vindication, Capote (sire of Boston Harbor and Matty G), Avenue of Flags, Williamstown, Fast Play and Doneraile Court. It also might be feasible to consider mares by A.P. Indy grandsons such as Tapit (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner, and himself sire of Tapizar, Concord Point and Trappe Shot), Sky Mesa, Dialed In, Algorithms, Discreetly Mine, Stay Thirsty and To Honor and Serve.

Out mares from the Roberto line, Medaglia d'Oro has two stakes winners, one grade one, from mares by Kris S. Prized, a son of Kris S. is broodmare sire of grade one winner, Paddy O'Prado, who is by Medaglia d’Oro’s sire, El Prado. There is also a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Kris S. son, Rock Hard Ten, and Kris S. could be attractive through Arch (sire of Blame, who would be very interesting here). From another branch of the Roberto line there is also a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Dynaformer (sire of Temple City, Purim, Point of Entry and Brilliant Speed). There are also El Prado line stakes winners out of mares by Roberto sons Lear Fan (duplicating the family of Sadler's Wells) and Silver Hawk, as well as from mares by Mister Baileys (by Robellino) and Comic Strip, a son of Red Ransom. Roberto is from the Hail to Reason line and from the Halo branch there are Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners out of mares by Jolie's Halo, and Devil His Due (by Devil's Bag), and Saint Ballado (sire of Saint Liam, Yankee Victor, Captain Bodgit, Straight Man, Sweetsouthernsaint and Flame Thrower). Tunwoo should also work well with mares by More Than Ready, a grandson of Halo, and sire of Ready’s Image. The Stop the Music branch of Hail to Reason is also promising here, and Medaglia d'Oro has a stakes winner out of a mare by Tethra (by Cure the Blues, also sire of the second dams of Rachel Alexandra and Gabby's Golden Gal). American Chance (by Cure the Blues) should also work well here.

There are seven Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners out of mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer, including the spectacular Golden Slipper (G1) winner, Vancouver, who is out of a mare by Danehill, and Medaglia d’Oro also has graded winners out of mares by Danehill sons Exceed and Excel, Flying Spur and Lion Hunter. There are also Medaglia d’Oro graded stakes winners out of mares by Danzig sons Pine Bluff (whose son, Lil’s Lad, is broodmare sire of a stakes winner by a Medaglia d’Oro son) and War Chant, and other potential Danzig sources include Belong to Me, Langfuhr, Anabaa, Boundary, War Front, Hard Spun and Chief’s Crown (available through Concerto and Bellamy Road). From the Icecapade branch of Northern Dancer’s sire, Nearctic, Medaglia d’Oro has a graded winner out of a mare by Clever Trick, and the brilliant Atreides out of a mare by Wild Rush (by Wild Again, also sire of Offlee Wild, Wild Event, Whiskey Wisdom, Vicar – broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner – and Milwaukee Brew).

From other branches of the Northern Dancer sire line, Medaglia d'Oro is sire of grade one winner Gabby's Golden Gal out of a mare by Ashkalani, who is turn is by Soviet Star, a son of Nureyev (three-parts-brother to Tunwoo’s male line ancestor, Sadler's Wells). Meanwhile, there is a two-year-old stakes winner by a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of a mare by Nureyev son Theatrical, and this strain can also be introduced through Stravinsky, Spinning World and Atticus.

Out of Blushing Groom line mares, Medaglia d'Oro has sired a graded stakes winner from a daughter of Blushing John, a graded stakes winners out of a mare by Wekiva Springs (by Runaway Groom, also sire of Cherokee Run, and grandsire of Kafwain and Yonaguska), a stakes winner out of a mare by Rahy (and graded winner from a mare by Rahy son, Fantastic Light), and a stakes winner mare by Rainbow Quest. This also suggests trying Blushing Groom through Mt. Livermore (sire of Orientate and Housebuster).