Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro retired to Spendthrift Farm

Multiple Grade 1 winner Bolt d'Oro has been retired and will stand the 2019 season for a fee of $25,000 at Spendthrift Farm.

Owned by Mick and Wendy Ruis and originally trained by the former, Bolt d'Oro had been a steady presence on the work tab since he was moved to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen this summer. He was tentatively slated to start in the Clark Handicap at Churchill Downs later this month.

Spendthrift Farm's Ned Toffey said the three-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro emerged sore from his last published workout on October 17 and the decision was made to move the Eclipse Award finalist on to the breeding shed.

"We felt like the best thing is, it was time to move on to his next career," Toffey said. "There was certainly discussion of the Clark and the Pegasus. That would have been the ideal scenario but we felt like it was best to make sure he was in good shape and ready to start career number two."

Ruis purchased Bolt d'Oro for $630,000 at Fasig-Tipton's 2016 Saratoga Sale and campaigned the colt to victories in the Del Mar Futurity and FrontRunner Stakes last season. The deal to stand the colt at Spendthrift upon his retirement was announced in October of 2017, and the colt went on to finish third behind eventual divisional champion Good Magic in the Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar in November of that year.

"He's a big, scopey horse, and if you look at him, you would think two-turn horse. You wouldn't necessarily think precocious two-year-old," Toffey said. "Yet that's exactly what he was. I think when you see one that is kind of going against the bias, that speaks volumes about how talented a horse he is.

"I think we saw this year, he demonstrated in his race with McKinzie just tremendous talent and ability. He literally ticks all the boxes, to overuse the expression. But he sure does that. He's an absolutely gorgeous horse."

Though Toffey could not discuss details of the breeding rights deal on Bolt d'Oro, he did say Mick Ruis retained an interest in the horse. He also said the new sire will not be a part of Spendthrift's 'Share the Upside' programme.

"People have been inquiring about him for some time," Toffey said. "We basically have a waiting list at this point."

Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Bolt d'Oro is out of the winning A P Indy mare Globe Trot and is a half brother to stakes winner Sonic Mule. He retired with four wins from eight starts and $1,016,000 in earnings.

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