Pioneer of Medina

Pioneer of Medina won a maiden special weight race at Tampa Bay Downs by 1 1/2 lengths on Dec. 22, 2021, in his third career start as a 2-year-old.  He then made his 3-year-old bow in a first-level allowance optional claiming race at Fair Grounds on Jan. 22, 2022, and went gate-to-wire in that race to win by 1 3/4 lengths.

Pioneer of Medina entered stakes competition early in his 3-year-old campaign and finished fourth in the Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes Presented by Lamarque Ford on Feb. 19. He earned his first five points on the road to the Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve with that effort. In his final Kentucky Derby prep race, Pioneer of Medina subsequently finished third in the Grade 2 Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby at Fair Grounds on Mar. 26, despite temporarily getting loose in the post parade. He earned 20 more qualifying points in that race to ensure he would have enough points to make it into the starting gate for the run for the roses at Churchill Downs.

Pioneer of Medina did not sire in the Kentucky Derby, where he finished 19th. That race began a string of sub-par efforts for Pioneer of Medina, who later finished eighth in the Grade 3 Smarty Jones Stakes at Parx on Aug. 23, and then was eighth again in a Keeneland allowance optional claiming race on Oct. 20.

Pioneer of Medina began a positive turnaround late in 2022 when he won an allowance optional claiming race at Churchill Downs on Nov. 17. He then rounded out his 3-year-old campaign when he finished a promising second in the Grade 3 Harlan's Holiday Stakes on Dec. 31 at Gulfstream Park.

Pioneer of Medina began his 4-year-old season with a victory in the $250,000 Grade 3 Mineshaft Stakes at Fair Grounds on Feb. 18, 2023. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite on the tote board in a field of nine in the Mineshaft, Pioneer of Medina stalked the pace close up, challenged in the stretch, and grinded out a head victory in a close three-horse finish. He ran the 1 1/16-mile distance in a winning time of 1:43.59.

Pioneer of Medina is trained by Todd Pletcher. He was bred in Kentucky by the sire Pioneerof the Nile out of the mare Lights of Medina by Eskendereya.