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We always try — when possible — to plan matings that replicate matings which have already produced successful horses in a mare’s family, and that’s what led us to Higher Power as the 2022 mate for Crystal Avalanche.
In this case, the stakes winner and classic-placed Grantland(ARG) shares a second dam with Crystal Avalanche, and is sired by Violence, a son of Medaglia d’Oro just like Higher Power. Also appearing on Crystal Avalanche’s page is the stakes-placed six-figure earner Qualify, by Medaglia d’Oro himself and out of an AP Indy mare from this female family, which is a pattern very similar to what will be produced from this matchup (Crystal Avalanche herself being an AP Indy-line mare).
TrueNicks rates this Medaglia d’Oro/AP Indy cross a “B” as it has produced no fewer than 25 stakes winners already, including G1 winners Bolt d’Oro, Plum Pretty and Dickinson. Looking at Medaglia d’Oro and his sons more specifically with Mineshaft mares (Mineshaft being the sire of Crystal Avalanche’s sire Dialed In, who is too young to have a broodmare sire record of his own yet), there have been 33 foals of racing age on that cross, of which 21 have run, 15 have won, and one is the G2 winner Enticed.
Additional reasons that we like this cross on paper are that Higher Power is a half-brother to the proven sire Alternation, who has had very strong results with AP Indy-line mares already (including G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Serengeti Empress), while Crystal Avalanche’s sire, Dialed In, is from the immediate family of multiple graded winner and leading Maryland sire Golden Lad, who is by Medaglia d’Oro. So there are a lot of positive indicators for this cross.
Physically, this is an excellent case of like-to-like, as both Higher Power and Crystal Avalanche are good-sized horses with plenty of substance and great balance, and we expect they’ll produce a foal that is similarly well-made!