BY AVALYN HUNTER
Bridlewood Farm’s Tunwoo has managed to show outsized potential as a stallion from relatively limited opportunities. From 19 lifetime starters, he has nine winners including two-time stakes winner Time Passage (out of the Kantharos mare Savingtime), an earner of $361,502.
Tunwoo himself seemed destined for racing success before fate intervened. A $775,000 RNA from the 2016 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga select yearling sale, Tunwoo was sent to Bob Baffert’s barn to race as a homebred for Charles and Susan Chu’s Baoma Corp. After three bullet works, the colt debuted in a maiden special weight at Los Alamitos on June 30, 2018. He finished a game third after hopping at the break and getting away tardily in his only race.
Tunwoo is by Medaglia d’Oro, who won the 2002 Travers (Grade 1) and 2003 Whitney (G1) and was second in six other Grade 1 races, including two editions of the Breeders’ Cup Classic, the 2002 Belmont (G1), and the 2004 Emirates Airlines Dubai World Cup (G1).
At stud, Medaglia d’Oro has sired 184 stakes winners including 2006 Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra, 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot, two-time American champion filly Songbird, and 2011 Kentucky Oaks (G1)-winner Plum Pretty. Medaglia d’Oro is also the sire of two-time Grade 1-winner Bolt d’Oro, the leading American freshman sire of 2022, and 2012 CashCall Futurity (G1)-winner Violence, whose 40 stakes winners include 2022 champion two-year-old male Forte.
Tunwoo is bred on the same Medaglia d’Oro/A.P. Indy cross as Bolt d’Oro. His dam is the winning A.P. Indy mare Sea Gift, making him a full brother to 2021 Santa Ysabel (G3)-winner Beautiful Gift and a half-brother to 2014 Sunland Park Derby (G3)-winner Chitu (by Henny Hughes). The second dam of Tunwoo, Ocean Queen (by 1989 English champion 3-year-old male Zilzal) won the 1996 Bay Meadows Breeders’ Cup Derby (G3) and is a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Dance Parade (by Gone West) and stakes winner Jig (by Catrail).
A tall, strong, rangy horse whose appearance reflects the influence of A.P. Indy, Tunwoo tends to get foals in his own image.
“Tunwoo is a big, correct stallion who consistently sires a nice, leggy, well-conformed horse,” Bridlewood Farm General Manager George Isaacs said. “He gets quality horses that can win in maiden special weight company and could get another breakout winner at any time. The Chus are continuing to support him with their own mares and we have every hope that he’ll continue to make the most of the chances he’s given.”
Tunwoo stands the 2025 season for $2,000 stands and nurses.
Return to the January 30 issue of Wire to Wire