Following the events of last Sunday, what we have in the 3-year-old division are Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and The Sundance Kid all walking toward each other for the inevitable shootout. Only these equine gunslingers are named War Emblem, Medaglia d'Oro, and Came Home.
Thursday, August 08, 2002The way Medaglia d'Oro ran in Sunday's Jim Dandy, trainer Bobby Frankel said he is likely to put a little more spacing in the colt's races. After the Travers, that is.
Monday, August 05, 2002Although the Swaps Stakes at Hollywood Park has already started up racing's second season for 3-year-olds, the winner, Came Home, apparently is heading toward shorter races and will not try the top-class colts in the big events. That leaves Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem as the horse to catch for championship honors.
Saturday, August 03, 2002A field of nine led by favorite Medaglia d'Oro is slated for the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (gr. II) at Saratoga on Sunday.
Friday, August 02, 2002Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap, which last week had only three prospective starters, drew a field of nine Thursday morning, with Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner War Emblem breaking from post 6.
Thursday, August 01, 2002Although jockey Richard Migliore has pretty much committed to riding Iron Deputy in Sunday's $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga, trainer Nancy Alberts is still hoping Migliore will somehow wind up back on Magic Weisner in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap on the same day.
Tuesday, July 30, 2002Sunday morning, Saratoga's backstretch was buzzing about the dramatic stretch run of the Test on Saturday. Meanwhile, trainer Bobby Frankel said Medaglia d'Oro will likely run in the Jim Dandy, with Jerry Bailey aboard.
Sunday, July 28, 2002Unhappy with the weights assigned for the Honorable Miss on Aug. 2, Gold Mover's trainer Mark Hennig said Saturday that his filly and champion Xtra Heat will not face each other in the race.
Sunday, July 28, 2002Trainer Paco Gonzalez told the Monmouth Park publicity department Friday morning that he is now undecided whether to run Came Home in the $1 million Haskell Invitational Handicap on Aug. 4.
Friday, July 26, 2002Preparing for the Jim Dandy on Aug. 4, Belmont stakes runner-up Medaglia d'Oro worked six furlongs in 1:13.85 handily Thursday morning over the main track at Saratoga Race Course.
Thursday, July 25, 2002Multiple stakes winner Forest Secrets had the final tuneup for her start in the Go for Wand, NYRA held a successful open house, and the John T. Ward and Bobby Frankel stables ready for the 134th Saratoga meet.
Monday, July 22, 2002Saturday's Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes served as Monmouth Park's last major prep for the $1-million Haskell Invitational, with this year's top 3-year-olds prepping for the 35th renewal of the race on August 4.
Monday, July 15, 2002Proud Citizen, who exited the Belmont Stakes with a crack in his left shin, was resting comfortably in his stall Sunday morning. Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas said the colt would likely miss 90-120 days of training.
Sunday, June 09, 2002Medaglia d'Oro heads a group of 57 early nominees for the fifth running of the $500,000 Virginia Derby, which will be contested at 1 1/4 miles over Colonial Downs' Secretariat Turf Course on July 13.
Thursday, June 06, 2002Paraneck Stable's Artax Too, who may go off the biggest price on the toteboard in the Belmont Stakes, turned in his final workout Monday at Aqueduct.
Monday, June 03, 2002Medaglia d'Oro and Perfect Drift both turned in sharp five-furlong works Saturday morning at Belmont Park and the Trackside training center, respectively.
Saturday, June 01, 2002Perfect Drift, third in the Kentucky Derby, worked six furlongs in 1:12 4/5 at the Trackside training center near Churchill Downs Monday. Trainer Murray Johnson caught the son of Dynaformer galloping out the seven furlongs in 1:26 2/5.
Monday, May 27, 2002A war zone. That's what posts 8 through 12 are going to be in Saturday's Preakness Stakes, as a five-horse stampede is going to come charging out of the gate and down the Pimlico stretch for the first time. And it's all the result of Bob Baffert and Company choosing post 8, resulting in the connections of the other speed horses to all select outside posts.
Friday, May 17, 2002With Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey aboard, Preakness Stakes favorite Medaglia d'Oro sizzled three furlongs in :35 at New York's Belmont Park as he prepared for Saturday's second leg of the Triple Crown at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Maryland.
Thursday, May 16, 2002Two planeloads of horses are scheduled to arrive in Baltimore next Wednesday, and then the 127th Preakness Stakes can officially begin. Until then, the Pimlico backstretch will remain relatively quiet.
Wednesday, May 08, 2002With only the top two Kentucky Derby finishers and fourth-place Medaglia d'Oro confirmed for the Preakness (gr. I), a crowd of new shooters are expected for the second leg of the Triple Crown.
Sunday, May 05, 2002Trainer Robert Frankel made it perfectly clear the morning after the Kentucky Derby what his plans are for Medaglia d'Oro, who finished fourth with a troubled trip, eight lengths behind the victorious War Emblem. "I'm going to win the Preakness with him," Frankel said.
Sunday, May 05, 2002If you blinked Monday morning, chances are you missed one of the 10 works turned in by Derby hopefuls. Starting with Proud Citizen's blazing five-furlong work and Sunday Break's six-furlong move in company at about 5:45, and ending with the five rapid-fire works following the renovation break, it was quite a showcase of Kentucky Derby horses.
Monday, April 29, 2002The first week of training is in the books, and it's on to Derby Week. So, what have we learned, if anything, from this past week's works? We learned, as usual, it's best to stay tuned for Week Two.
Friday, April 26, 2002With Thursday's moves by Essence of Dubai and Request for Parole, the first wave of works have just about concluded. Tomorrow we'll go over what we've seen so far, and what significance they may play in the Kentucky Derby.
Thursday, April 25, 2002Pedigree vs. Performance. That is the battle within the battle that may very well decide this year's Kentucky Derby winner. The more we see of Came Home, the more we think that maybe performance can conquer pedigree on Derby Day.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002In what trainer Paco Gonzalez said was a faster work than he preferred, Santa Anita Derby winner Came Home zipped six furlongs in 1:12 3/5.
Tuesday, April 23, 2002Gary and Mary West's Buddha dueled though the Aqueduct stretch with Medaglia d'Oro and Sunday Break en route to a head-length win in Saturday's exciting renewal of the $750,000 Wood Memorial (gr. I). Under Pat Day, the gray son of Unbridled's Song completed the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.61 on a fast track.
Saturday, April 13, 2002The Kentucky Derby trail heads into the unknown Saturday, as eight 3-year-olds attempt to sort themselves out and prove they belong in the Run for Roses.
Thursday, April 11, 2002The horse is named for a brand of espresso coffee, and in his last
start, he woke up as if he had swallowed a double shot of the stuff.
Saturday afternoon, Medaglia d'Oro will try to keep his Triple Crown
hopes brewing when he steps onto Aqueduct's main track for the 78th running of the grade 1, $750,000 Wood Memorial.
Sunday Break, winner of his last three starts, worked a sharp six furlongs in 1:15 3/5 at Aqueduct Monday, in preparation for Saturday's $750,000 Wood Memorial, while Saarland breezed a half in :48 at Belmont.
Monday, April 08, 2002Edmund Gann's Medaglia d'Oro and Gary West's Buddha were on track for exercise Sunday morning ahead of Saturday's Wood Memorial (gr. I) at Aqueduct.
Sunday, April 07, 2002Harlan's Holiday, winner of the Florida Derby, and Sunday Break, winner of his last three starts, worked Wednesday for their respective engagements in the April 13 Blue Grass Stakes and Wood Memorial.
Wednesday, April 03, 2002Danthebluegrassman zipped five furlongs in :58.6 at Santa Anita Park on Monday as he posted the fastest time of the day among the 49 horses working at that distance. His workout was the highlight of a busy workday Monday for 3-year-olds at tracks across the country.
Tuesday, April 02, 2002Ten horses were nominated to the 2002 Visa Triple Crown by the late deadline, which closed Saturday, March 30 at midnight. The 10 additions, each at a cost of $6,000, increased the number of nominations to a total of 415.
Monday, April 01, 2002U S S Tinosa tuned up for Saturday's Santa Anita Derby (gr. I) with a four-furlong work at Golden Gate Fields Sunday morning. Also working were stablemate Cappuchino, Medaglia d'Oro, Holdthehelm, Jack's Silver, Charioteer, Habibti, and Raven Power. Also, Patrick Valenzuela has been named to ride Mayakovsky in the Santa Anita Derby.
Sunday, March 31, 2002As usually happens in a year like this, a second wave hit the beach this past weekend, bringing with it some new goodies, while washing some of the old deposits out to sea.
Monday, March 18, 2002Medaglia d'Oro wins the San Felipe Stakes, shaking up the West Coast 3-year-old scene.
Sunday, March 17, 2002High Star, third in last year's Kentucky Jockey Club Stakes, turned in a sharp 5-furlong work in 1:00 4/5 at Gulfstream Park Monday in preparation for the March 16 Florida Derby.
Monday, March 04, 2002The $200,000 Gotham Stakes, to be run Sunday March 17, could draw a talented group of 3-year-olds from different parts of the country, including two big-name colts from last year who will be making their 3-year-old debut. Coming up from Florida will be Remsen winner Saarland, who was unable to get a 7-furlong allowance race at Gulfstream to fill on three occasions.
Friday, March 01, 2002Since the injury to Edmund Gann's Labamta Babe, Bobby Frankel has been searching for another 3-year-old colt to possibly bring him and Gann back on the Kentucky Derby trail. Once again it was former trainer Mark Reid who came through for him with his recommendation he buy Medaglia D'Oro, a 4 1/4-length winner of a six-furlong maiden race at Oaklawn Park on Feb. 9.
Tuesday, February 19, 2002