Fast Anna

By: Alan Porter

“A stakes winning sprinter who ran fractions of :21.29, :43.72 and :56.36, Fast Anna proved himself one of the fastest of his crop when missing by just a neck in the sire-making King’s Bishop Stakes (g1). 

The speediest North American son of Medaglia d’Oro, Fast Anna, is out of Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Dreaming of Anna. His granddam is a stakes winning half-sister to Eclipse Award Champion and Leading Sire Kitten’s Joy, a son of Fast Anna’s grandsire, El Prado.”

The pedigree of Fast Anna is completely free of Mr. Prospector, and there are more than 50 Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winners out of Mr. Prospector line mares. These are headed by the magnificent Rachel Alexandra, who is out of a mare by Roar, a son of Forty Niner, and Medaglia d’Oro also has Champion Two-Year-Old Filly Songbird out of a mare by Forty Niner son West Acre, and a graded winner out of a mare by Forty Niner son Distorted Humor (sire of a graded stakes winner out of the granddam of Fast Anna). Forty Niner could also be brought in though Coronado’s Quest, Editor’s Note, End Sweep, Twining, Tactical Advantage, Trippi (broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner), Flower Alley and Sharp Humor. Medaglia d’Oro’s grade one winning sprint son, Warrior’s Reward, is out of a mare by Seeking the Gold (sire of Petitionville, Muhtakddim and Cape Town), and Medaglia d’Oro’s grade one winner Talismanic is out of a mare by Machiavellian (sire of Street Cry and grandsire of Street Sense). There is a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Mr. Prospector son Gulch, and two grade one winners – including a Champion Two-Year-Old – out of a mare by that horse’s son, Thunder Gulch.

We can also note a Medaglia d’Oro grade one winner from a mare by Gone West, and a graded winner out of that horse’s son, Grand Slam (also suggesting mares by Mr. Greeley, Speightstown, Elusive Quality and Proud Citizen, Quality Road). Medaglia d’Oro has a grade one winner out of a mare Lemon Drop Kid, and a graded winner out of a mare by his sire, Kingmambo (both giving the successful combination of Sadler’s Wells and his three-quarters brother Nureyev). There are also Medaglia d’Oro graded stakes winners out of mares by Smart Strike (whose son, English Channel could work well, and who is also sire of Curlin and Lookin At Lucky), Smoke Glacken and Jade Hunter; and stakes winners out of mares by Marquetry (sire of Artax), Crafty Prospector and Fortunate Prospect. There is also a stakes winner by a son of Medaglia d’Oro out of a mare by Mr. Prospector son, Carson City (sire of City Zip, already broodmare sire of a Medaglia d’Oro line stakes winner, with other sources of Carson City including Boone’s Mill, Flying Chevron, Good and Tough, Lord Carson and Cuvee).

Medaglia d’Oro is already showing a strong affinity for certain branches of the Hail to Reason line. He already has stakes winners from the Halo branch, out of mares by Jolie’s Halo, and Devil His Due (by Devil’s Bag, also sire of Diablo), and Saint Ballado (sire of Saint Liam, Yankee Victor, Captain Bodgit, Sweetsouthernsaint and Straight Man). Note that Devil’s Bag and Saint Ballado are brothers to Champion Glorious Song, the dam of Fast Anna’s broodmare sire, Rahy. Fast Anna should also work well with mares by Halo grandson More Than Ready. Fast Anna’s relative, Kitten’s Joy, has done well with mares that give inbreeding to Roberto, and from that branch of Hail to Reason, Medaglia d’Oro has two stakes winners, one grade one, out of mares by Kris S., whose son, Prized is broodmare sire of El Prado grade one winner, Paddy O’Prado, and who could be attractive through Arch and his son, Blame. There is a Medaglia d’Oro stakes winner out of a mare by Roberto son, Dynaformer, and Silver Hawk and Red Ransom could also be considered. 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 too.

Fast Anna is a product of the successful cross between Medaglia d’Oro and mares from the Blushing Groom line, and crossing him back over Blushing Groom mares appeals. Medaglia d’Oro has sired a graded stakes winner out of a mare by Blushing John, and a stakes winner out of a mare by Rainbow Quest. This also suggests trying Blushing Groom through Mt. Livermore (sire of Orientate and Housebuster) or Runaway Groom (sire of Cherokee Run; grandsire of Kafwain and Yonaguska).

From 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 Fast Anna’s male line ancestor, Sadler’s Wells). There is also a two-year-old stakes winner by a son of Medaglia d’Oro, out of a mare by Nureyev son Theatrical, and Nureyev can also be introduced through Stravinsky, Spinning World and Atticus.

There are nine Medaglia d’Oro stakes winners out of mares from the Danzig branch of Northern Dancer, including the spectacular Golden Slipper (gr. I) winner, Vancouver, who is out of a mare by Danehill, whose son, Exceed and Excel, is broodmare sire of Medaglia d’Oro grade one winner Astern. There are also Medaglia d’Oro graded stakes winners out of mares by Danzig sons Pine Bluff and War Chant, and other potential Danzig sources include Belong to Me, Langfuhr, Anabaa, Boundary, War Front and Chief’s Crown (available through Concerto and Bellamy Road), Hard Spun and Exchange Rate. 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 and Milwaukee Brew).