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Wood Memorial could turn golden

NEW YORK -- Medaglia d'Oro stirred up the West Coast with his surprising victory in the San Felipe Stakes. Now he has come East for the Wood Memorial to try to earn a trip to the Kentucky Derby.

The 3-year-old colt named for a brand of espresso is the favorite for the $750,000 Wood at Aqueduct, one of three major Derby prep races today.

"He's done everything right and if he improves like he has, then we'll be in good shape," trainer Bobby Frankel said.

Frankel has done a few things correctly, himself. He was racing's top trainer last year, and there has been no letup in 2002.

The Hall of Famer loves returning to his New York roots. Of his 13 stakes wins in the state last year, eight were in Grade I races.

A formidable field of eight will go 11/8 miles in the Wood. Medaglia d'Oro (gold medal in Italian) is the 5-2 early choice over Saarland at 3-1, Buddha at 4-1 and Blue Burner and Sunday Break, both at 9-2. The others are Nokoma at 12-1, and Iwin and Laissezaller, both at 20-1.

In today's other preps, Harlan's Holiday is the favorite in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland, and Private Emblem is the top choice in the $500,000 Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park.

Medaglia d'Oro, making just the fourth start of his career, will be ridden by 55-year-old Laffit Pincay.

On March 17 at Santa Anita, Medaglia d'Oro took a giant step forward by winning the 1 1/16-mile San Felipe by 21/2 lengths over USS Tinosa, with favored Siphonic third. The son of El Prado set the pace, was passed by two horses, but then came back and won with a strong finish.

Buddha is making his stakes debut in just his fourth race. The Jim Bond-trained colt is coming off a 91/2-length win in a 1 1/16th-mile allowance race at Gulfstream Park on March 16.

"This horse gives me a lot of good vibes," Bond said. Buddha will be ridden by Pat Day, who replaces Edgar Prado. Prado rides Harlan's Holiday in the Blue Grass.

Blue Burner and Sunday Break are each racing for the sixth time, while Saarland has raced only once this year -- a second in the Gotham Stakes -- and is making his seventh career start for trainer Shug McGaughey.

Blue Burner, owned by George Steinbrenner's Kinsman Farm and trained by Bill Mott, was runner-up to Harlan's Holiday in the Florida Derby on March 16, while Sunday Break comes in off a win at 11/8 miles in an allowance at Aqueduct on March 27.

The field, from the rail out: Blue Burner (Jerry Bailey); Buddha (Day); Iwin (Kent Desormeaux); Laissezaller (Richard Migliore); Medaglia d'Oro (Pincay); Nokoma (Mike Smith); Saarland (John Velazquez); and Sunday Break (Gary Stevens).

Downs increases purses

OLDSMAR -- Tampa Bay Downs announced a 5 percent increase in overnight purses to take effect Monday.

The increase will bring daily purse distribution to an average of $104,000, the most in the track's 76-year history.

"Business has exceeded expectations in the last 30 days," track general manager Peter Berube said in a statement. "The restoration of the out-of-state signals, plus the switch to the Monday live racing card has enabled us to increase the overnight purse structure for our horsemen."

JOCKEY HURT: Jockey Chris DeCarlo broke a bone in his back when he was thrown during a race Thursday at Gulfstream Park in Hollywood, Fla.

DeCarlo was alert but confined to bed, and there is no timetable for his release.

AQUEDUCT: Robbie's Rockin beat Glamdring by 2 lengths in a $44,000 turf allowance feature for horses 3 years and older in New York. Preferred Guest was third of 10, another 31/4 lengths back.

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