Gold Phoenix Heads D'Amato Squad in John Henry

There's a touch of everything in the Oct. 1 renewal of the $200,000 John Henry Turf Championship (G2T) at Santa Anita Park—a likely favorite already Breeders' Cup-qualified, a select but competitive cast originally hailing from around the globe, and a healthy dose of history from racing's glory days.

The race also has a healthy dose of Phil D' Amato, who trains three of the six for the 1 1/4-mile affair that starts on the downhill course—Gold Phoenix , Masteroffoxhounds,  and Cash Equity .

Gold Phoenix, never out of the top three in eight starts, enters off a victory in the Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) Sept. 3. That was the first stakes win for the 4-year-old Belardo  gelding, who races for Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify.

Flavien Prat, who flew in to win four races on that Pacific Classic Day, kept Gold Phoenix next to last in a field of 11 early in the Del Mar Handicap. He rallied six-deep turning for home and was up to win by a head. That victory earned Gold Phoenix a "Win and You're In" spot in the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) Nov. 5 at Keeneland.

With Prat staying east on Saturday, Juan Hernandez takes the reins in the John Henry.

Masteroffoxhounds, a 5-year-old son of War Front  , finished fifth in the Del Mar Handicap and looks to regain the form that got him home second in the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) April 30 and third in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T) May 30—both at Santa Anita. 

"I think Masteroffoxhounds has tactical speed, and should probably be sitting one-two, and the others should come from behind, so I'm going to leave it up to the jockeys to figure it out," D'Amato said.

Cash Equity raced well down the class ladder in France at ages 2 and 3. Sent to D'Amato this year, he finished second, then won an allowance optional claiming event at Santa Anita in the spring, followed with eighth in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) July 31 at Del Mar.

"This is his first time as a gelding," D'Amato said. "We took our time with him."

Breakpoint  left his native land undefeated after five starts, three of them group 1s. But he finished up the track in all four starts in 2021, racing in New York and Kentucky, first for Chad Brown, then for Steve Asmussen.

The Don Alberto Stable homebred, a son of Constitution  , then was moved again, this time to Neil Drysdale, and opened his 2022 account with a hard-won victory in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G2T) June 19. Sent back to Kentucky Downs, he could only manage a 10th-place showing in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2T).

Dicey Mo Chara , a 4-year-old Adaay  gelding from Leonard Powell's barn, reported third in the Del Mar Handicap. He was second in the San Luis Rey Stakes (G3T) in March but has yet to win a stakes race.

Tropical Terror  has been effective at the allowance level and steps up in class.

History will enter the picture Saturday as Ron McAnally, who trained John Henry, is scheduled to present the winning trophy after the John Henry Turf Championship.

Entries: John Henry Turf Championship S. (G2T)

Santa Anita Park, Saturday, October 01, 2022, Race 3

• Grade II
• 1 1/4m
• Downhill turf
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up
• 1:34 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Gold Phoenix (IRE)	Juan J. Hernandez	126	Philip D'Amato	2/1
2	2Breakpoint (CHI)	Tyler Baze	124	Neil D. Drysdale	9/2
3	3Dicey Mo Chara (GB)	Ryan Curatolo	122	Leonard Powell	3/1
4	4Masteroffoxhounds (KY)	Umberto Rispoli	122	Philip D'Amato	5/2
5	5Tropical Terror (CA)	Mike E. Smith	122	James M. Cassidy	20/1
6	6Cash Equity (FR)	Hector Isaac Berrios	122	Philip D'Amato	4/1