Medaglia d'Oro Assigned 125 for Clark 'Cap

(from Churchill Downs note)
Edmund Gann's Medaglia d'Oro, winner of the Whitney (gr. I) and runner-up in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic (gr. I) the last two years, has been assigned high weight of 125 pounds for the 129th running of the $500,000-added Clark Handicap (gr. II) on Nov. 29.

Churchill Downs racing secretary Doug Bredar released the weight assignments for the Clark and the $300,000-added Falls City Handicap (gr. II) for fillies and mares ages 3 and up on Saturday. Juddmonte Farm's Sightseek, another Frankel-trained star and a winner of four grade I stakes races in 2003, was also assigned high weight of 125 for the Falls City, which will be renewed for the 88th time on Thanksgiving Day.

The two races are among four major stakes events with combined purses of $1.2 million scheduled during the "Big Four Weekend" on Nov. 27-29 at Churchill Downs.

Medaglia d'Oro, a son of El Prado who also counts the Oaklawn Park Handicap (gr. II) among his three victories in five starts in 2003, would concede six pounds to Joseph Vitello's Tenpins, who has been assigned 119 pounds and is scheduled to run in the Clark. Other horses listed as "definite" or "possible" for the Clark include: Evening Attire (118), Snake Mountain (118), Crafty Shaw (117), During (117), M B Sea (116), Quest Star (115), Aeneas (114), Devil Time (114), Quest (114), Request for Parole (114), Seattle Fitz (114) and Sonic West (114).

Sightseek, who counts the Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs among her four grade I victories this year, would concede two pounds to Select Stable's Take Charge Lady, who is expected to run in the Falls City. The Ken McPeek-trained Take Charge Lady was runner-up in the 2002 Falls City to Allamerican Bertie.

Other horses considered likely for the Falls City include Miss Terrible (117), Awesome Humor (116), Lead Story (116), Mayo On The Side (114), Rhiana (114), Angel Gift (113) and Fircroft (112). Awesome Humor and Fircroft are the only 3-year-olds in that group.