Medaglia d'Oro, Buddha Tune Up For Wood Memorial
April 7, 2002
By Jenny Kellner

OZONE PARK, N.Y. (April 7, 2002) - Medaglia d'Oro, winner of the San Felipe, and Buddha, making his first stakes start, worked at opposite ends of the country on Apr. 7 while four other Kentucky Derby hopefuls are slated for their final tuneups on Apr. 8 in preparation for the $750,000 Wood Memorial (GI) on Apr. 13 at Aqueduct Race Course.

As many as nine 3-year-olds could go postward in the Grade I Wood, New York's traditional prep for the Kentucky Derby (GI). The 1 1/8th-mile race has produced the past two Kentucky Derby winners in Fusaichi Pegasus, who won the race in 2000, and Monarchos, who won the "Run for the Roses" last year.

At Payson Park in south Florida, Buddha went five furlongs in 1:01 2/5, pleasing trainer James Bond. With just three starts, Buddha is one of the least experienced horses pointing for the Wood, but Bond does not think it poses too much of a problem.

"That's a bridge we'll have to cross when we get to it," Bond said. "But this horse continues to impress me. He's got so much talent. He runs like a veteran."

At Hollywood Park, Medaglia d'Oro went six furlongs in 1:12 2/5.

"He went good and looked good," trainer Bobby Frankel said of Medaglia d'Oro, who is scheduled to ship to New York on Apr. 10. "We're still on schedule with him. He's run well at three different tracks. He won't have any trouble shipping."

Michael Tabor's Nokoma, a close second behind Saarland in the Remsen (GIII) but beaten 28 1/2-lengths in the Florida Derby (GI); Saarland, runner-up to Mayakovsky in the Gotham (GIII); Heir D'Twine, fourth in the Gotham, and the Neil Drysdale-trained Sunday Break, an allowance winner at Aqueduct last month, were all scheduled to work on Apr. 8.

Also pointing for the Wood are Laissezaller, a Kentucky-bred colt by End Sweep, who has raced exclusively in England; Iwin, a Nick Zito-trained 3-year-old who was third to Sunday Break in the March 27 allowance, and highly-regarded Blue Burner, second to Harlan's Holiday in the Florida Derby.

Laissezaller is scheduled to arrive at Belmont Park on Apr. 10 and should clear quarantine by Apr. 12.

Kinsman Stable's Blue Burner was to have arrived at Belmont Park on the afternoon of Apr. 7.

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