Medaglia d'Oro Faces Stiff Test in Whitney

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Medaglia d'Oro and Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) winner Volponi are among a contentious field of eight older horses entered for Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga Race Course.

The 1 1/8-mile Whitney will be shown live as part of an ESPN2 program (5-6 p.m. EDT) that will also feature the Amsterdam Stakes (gr. II) from Saratoga and a replay of Wednesday's Sussex Stakes (Eng-I) from Goodwood.

Medaglia d'Oro, who has been installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite, will be making his first start since a win in the Oaklawn Handicap (gr. II) in April. The son of El Prado won the Jim Dandy (gr. II) and Travers Stakes (gr. I) at Saratoga last year for trainer Bobby Frankel before ending the season with a second-place finish to Volponi in the Classic.

Volponi has three second-place finishes in three starts this year for trainer P.G. Johnson. The son of Cryptoclearance began the season with a second in a seven-furlong allowance at Belmont and was the runner-up in the Brooklyn Handicap (gr. II) and the Suburban Handicap (gr. I).

The Todd Pletcher-trained Harlan's Holiday, who exits a second-place finish to Congaree in the July 13 Hollywood Gold Cup (gr. I) at Hollywood Park, is the 5-1 third choice on the morning line.

Whitney Stakes (gr. I), Aug. 2, Saratoga, $750,000, 1 1/8 miles, 3-year-olds and up
PP, Horse, ML
1. Puzzlement, Jorge Chavez, 15-1
2. Saarland. John Velazquez, 12-1
3. Northern Rock, Richard Migliore, 15-1
4. Evening Attire, Mark Guidry, 10-1
5. Medaglia d'Oro, Jerry Bailey, 4-5
6. Harlan's Holiday, Pat Day, 5-1
7. Volponi, Jose Santos, 4-1
8. Proud Citizen, Edgar Prado, 15-1

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