Kentucky Derby Horse Profile: Pioneer of Medina

Apr 28, 2022 John Mucciolo/TwinSpires.com

Sumaya US Stable’s Pioneer of Medina currently ranks 21st on the 2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby challenge series leaderboard with 25 total qualifying points. The Todd Pletcher pupil was last seen posting a third-place result in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds on March 26. He now has a career line of 6-2-1-2, $181,350.

Pioneer of Medina debuted on September 6 at Monmouth Park and finished second in a six-furlong maiden special weight dash. The bay colt checked in third in an All-Weather attempt at Gulfstream Park in his second lifetime engagement, prior to graduating in his two-year-old finale at Tampa Bay Downs on the dirt on December 22.

The son of Pioneerof the Nile was a winner in his initial try of 2022 when leading throughout in an allowance route test at Fair Grounds, his second straight triumph since adding blinkers. He forced the pace before ultimately coming home fourth in the Risen Star S. (G2) prior to his Louisiana Derby performance.

Pioneer of the Medina was bred in the Bluegrass State by International Equine Holdings and was a $485,000 RNA at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. He is out of the stakes-winning Eskendereya mare Lights of Medina, who was second in the 2017 Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2). This is the same female line responsible for Chilean multiple Group 1 heroine Medina Sidonia.

The three-year-old has shown steady improvement this season while registering Brisnet Speed numbers of 87-94-96. He has been training in swift fashion in anticipation of the Kentucky Derby, which includes a bullet drill on the Churchill strip April 25, and his catalog page suggests that he will thrive on the stretch out to 1 1/4 miles on May 7. Pioneer of Medina must get faster to compete with the best of his crop, but he is trending in the right direction, and another forward move can give him an exotics chance at a huge price in the Run for the Roses.