Keep your eye on Bolt d'Oro, because, like his namesake, he goes fast. Named for Olympic sprinting legend Usain Bolt, the two-year-old colt is undefeated in three starts and is currently listed as the favorite to win the Breeders Cup Juvenile on Nov. 4.
After selling for $630,000 in August 2016, Bolt d'Oro hit the track for the first time in August of this year under the leadership of his owner/trainer Mick Ruis, Bolt d'Oro broke his maiden at Del Mar by 2 1/4 lengths then returned to win the Grade-1 Del Mar Futurity by 3/4 of a length. Bolt d'Oro's biggest win was his next race when he won the Grade-1 Frontrunner Stakes at Santa Anita by 7 3/4 lengths.
The colt's last two wins put him in some elite company. Two other recent horses won both the Del Mar Futurity and the Frontrunner Stakes and they each went on to win the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Those horses were Kentucky Derby winner Nyquist and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah.
Bolt d'Oro's success has been recognized by breeding operations and his future career as a stallion has already been determined. Spendthrift Farm of Lexington, KY, announced earlier this month that Bolt d'Oro will serve as a stallion at their farm when his racing career concludes.
"I think we are seeing a budding superstar," Spendthrift Owner B. Wayne Hughes said in a press release. "It's going to be a lot of fun watching his career develop."
Bolt d'Oro is currently training at Santa Anita.
Bolt d'Oro
Sire: Medaglia d'Oro
Dam: Globe Trot (by A.P. Indy)
Trainer: Mick Ruis
Breeder: WinStar Farm (Versailles, KY)
Auction: $630,000 (Fasig-Tipton Saratoga August Sale 2016)
Racing Highlights: Del Mar Futurity (Del Mar), Frontrunner Stakes (Santa Anita)
Race to Watch: Breeders' Cup Juvenile