Medaglia d'Oro, Volponi 1-2 in Whitney

Handicap by a length Saturday at Saratoga Race Course in SaratogaSprings, N.Y.

Medaglia d'Oro, a 4-year-old ridden by Jerry Bailey and trained byBobby Frankel, finished the 11/8-mile course in 1:47/?240-208? on afast track.

"Deep down I knew, and Bobby told me, he was ready," Bailey said."He was fit and 100 percent. I knew as soon as I asked the questionif he was ready, I was going to find out pretty quick, and hecertainly had enough."

Medaglia d'Oro, owned by Edmund Gann, paid $3.60, $2.50 and $2.30in the 76th running of the Grade I race for 3-year-olds and up.Volponi returned $2.80 and $2.40. Evening Attire paid $3 to show.

The Whitney was a rematch between Volponi and Medaglia d'Oro. Ninemonths ago, Volponi beat Medaglia d'Oro and War Emblem as a 43-1 longshot to win in the $4 million Breeders' Cup Classic at ArlingtonPark.

Medaglia d'Oro, the winner of last year's Jim Dandy Stakes andTravers Stakes at Saratoga, broke well and settled into second placebehind Northern Rock. Volponi, ridden by Jose Santos, seemed tostumble out of the gate but regained his stride and moved intofourth. Through the halfway mark, the horses kept a fast pace asMedaglia d'Oro stayed on Northern Rock's tail and Volponi made a moveinto third. As the field entered the final turn, Medaglia d'Orocharged into first. Volponi gained on the winner in the final furlongbut couldn't catch him.

"I thought down the stretch that maybe Volponi was going to run byhim, but he dug in and showed his guts," Frankel said.

Volponi, trained by P.G. Johnson, has failed to reach the winner'scircle this year, finishing second in four consecutive starts.

"He was a little wild going down the backstretch," Johnson said."He was all over the place. But he does that sometimes, and I thinkhe's looking for a place to run."

In the Grade II Amsterdam, Zavata, with Bailey up, ran away from apack of six to win the six-furlong race in 1:08.64. It was Zavata'sthird stakes victory.

DEL MAR: Katdogawn ($12.20, $4.60 and $3.60) defeated 6-5 favoriteAtlantic Ocean by two lengths to win the $150,000 San ClementeHandicap for 3-year-old fillies. Ridden by Julie Krone, Katdogawncovered a mile on the turf in 1:33/?240-208?, a stakes record thatbettered the mark of 1:33ª/?240-208? set by Little Treasure lastyear.

AP