Medaglia d'Oro turns table on Volponi

By: Sports Network

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Oaklawn Handicap winner Medaglia d'Oro held off Volponi to win

 Saturday's $750,000 Whitney Handicap at Saratoga. The finish was a reversal of last year's

 Breeders' Cup Classic when Volponi finished first with Medaglia d'Oro second. 

Medaglia d'Oro was ridden by Jerry Bailey for owner Edmund Gann and trainer Bobby Frankel. Frankel 

will attempt to win Sunday's Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga with Empire Maker. He will also run

 Peace Rules in the Haskell at Monmouth Park on Sunday. 

The pace in the 1 1/8 mile race was set by Northern Rock followed closely by Medaglia d'Oro and 

Proud Citizen. Volponi was lurking in the middle of the pack. 

The runners maintained their positions up the backstretch and into the far turn. Around the

 turn Medaglia d'Oro drew along side of Northern Rock. 

At the top of the stretch Northern Rock began to fade as Medaglia d'Oro took the lead. Volponi

 closed down the stretch to finish within 3/4's of a length of the winner. Rounding out the order of 

finish was Evening Attire, Puzzlement, Northern Rock, Saarland and Proud Citizen. The time for the

 race was 1:47.69. 

Harlan's Holiday was scratched earlier in the day and is expected to go in the Saratoga Breeders' Cup

 Handicap on August 16. 

Medaglia d'Oro is now undefeated in three starts this year with $990,000 in earnings. In his career, 

the four-year-old has won seven of 13 starts for better than $3.2 million. 

Medaglia d'Oro returned $3.60, $2.50 and $2.30. Volponi paid $2.80 and $2.40, and Evening

 Attire paid $3.20.