By Joe Bianca
Gary Barber's popular WONDER GADOT (Medaglia d'Oro&log=">Medaglia d'Oro) will make her seasonal bow in a third-level allowance Friday at Oaklawn Park. Establishing her quality with a pair of graded stakes wins as a juvenile, the $325,000 OBS April buy came tantalizingly close to a GI Kentucky Oaks victory when coming up a half-length short to eventual division champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar). Heading north of the border after that, the dark bay easily conquered males in both the Queen's Plate and Prince of Wales S. before fading to finish 10th in the GI Travers S. She was last seen running ninth in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff and shows five workouts since, most recently going five furlongs from the gate here in 1:01 2/5 (4/21) Feb. 24. Trainer Mark Casse told the Oaklawn notes team that with a good return run in the one-mile event, Wonder Gadot will be pointed to the track's GI Apple Blossom H. Apr. 14.
“That's why she's there, if everything goes well,” he said, adding, “A mile is maybe just a touch on the short side for her, but given her time off and everything, I think it's perfect. It's a good spot for us to get going. Hopefully, it leads to bigger and better things down the road, but it's a nice beginning for the year.” TJCIS PPs
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