Medaglia d’Oro Leaves No Doubt in the Donn

Those anticipating a classic battle between Medaglia d’Oro and Funny Cide in the $500,000 Donn Handicap at Gulfstream Park in Florida on Saturday were disappointed.

In what jockey Jerry Bailey called his most impressive performance since he won the 2003 Strub Stakes at Santa Anita, Medaglia d’Oro routed his seven opponents in the Grade I.

Owned by Ed Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel, who also won the $150,000 Davona Dale with 8-1 longshot Miss Coronado earlier on the card, Medaglia d’Oro, the 3-5 favorite, won by 4 3/4 lengths in 1:47.68 for the 1 1/8 miles.

This was the fifth victory in six starts at the distance for the 5-year-old El Prado horse, who never really looked like a loser at any stage even though he was in tight quarters entering the first turn.

Bailey was able to wrangle him to the outside of pacesetting longshot Predawn Raid on the backside, then Medaglia d’Oro took over on the far turn and drew clear.

Seattle Fitz, the 9-1 fourth choice, finished second, nearly four lengths in front of Funny Cide, the 3-1 second choice. Last year’s Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner was well-placed by jockey Jose Santos but simply couldn’t match strides with the top two in the final quarter of a mile.

“We had a good trip,” Santos said. “The other horse was much the best. No one was going to beat him today.”

Anybody who saw the Donn would have a hard time disagreeing with Santos.

“He runs really well fresh,” said Bailey of the winner, who has won half of his 16 starts and earned $4,554,720. “He ran like he did in the Strub last year. It was that easy.

“At the top of the stretch, I saw [Funny Cide] was right on my hip again, but I was never really worried. The way my horse exploded at the three-eighths pole, I don’t think there are too many horses that could have had me worried.”

Frankel said Medaglia d’Oro would ship back to California today. “I really haven’t figured out what’s next,” he said. “Maybe Dubai [for the $6-million World Cup on March 27]. I don’t know for sure. I’ll see how he comes out.”

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Frankel’s other victory didn’t come nearly as easy. Miss Coronado, who had never raced on the dirt before, led throughout and fought off three challengers through the stretch to win by a head.

Owned by Bob and Janice McNair’s Stonerside Stable, the 3-year-old Coronado’s Quest filly, who had broken her maiden in her second career start on the Santa Anita turf course on Jan. 4, completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.62. Ridden by Cornelio Velasquez, she beat Eye Dazzler, who went off at 9-2, by a head. Society Selection, the 4-5 favorite, was a neck back in third and she finished a neck in front of 5-2 second choice Last Song.

“She broke well and made an easy lead,” Velasquez said. “She just kept on fighting. She knows how to fight and she’s a real runner.”

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Cajun Beat, the surprise winner of last year’s Breeders’ Cup Sprint, was upset by Alke in the $100,000 Deputy Minister Handicap at Gulfstream.

The victory was the fourth in a row for Alke, a 4-year-old Grand Slam colt, since he was moved to the barn of Todd Pletcher. He beat the 9-10 favorite by 2 1/2 lengths under jockey John Velazquez while completing the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:15.80.

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Jockey Emile Ramsammy won two stakes in Arizona, taking the $75,000 Turf Paradise Breeders’ Cup Handicap with favored Irish Warrior ($3.20) for trainer Wally Dollase and the $100,000 Turf Paradise Derby with Mambo Train ($7.60) for trainer Marcelo Polanco.

Meanwhile, at Golden Gate Fields, another local rider, Matt Garcia, scored a 9-1 upset with Wixoe Express, who is trained by Neil Drysdale, in the $75,000 Tanforan Handicap.

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Rallying from last in a field of seven over a muddy track, Little Matth Man ($21.60) won the $82,875 Whirlaway Stakes at Aqueduct in New York.

A New York-bred son of Matty G., Little Matth Man won for the second time in a row for owner Vincent Papandrea and trainer Martin Ciresa and completed the 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.78. Pablo Fragoso rode the winner. Quick Action, the 3-2 favorite, finished third.