Late-Running Easter Continues Ascent in San Gabriel

Trainer Phil D'Amato says Easter  is a quirky horse with his own way of wanting to do things.

But his way often works, that winning style on full display Dec. 26 at Santa Anita Park when the 5-year-old gelding unleashed a last-to-first rally to defeat Missed the Cut  and Tio Magico  in the $200,500 San Gabriel Stakes (G2T). The stakes victory, coming by 1 1/4 lengths, is his third in a row and seventh overall win in 19 starts.

Backed to 3-5 odds after winning the Oct. 30 Lure Stakes at Santa Anita with prior trainer Graham Motion and the Nov. 25 Seabiscuit Handicap (G2T) in his first start for D'Amato, Easter likely gave backers of the favorite some initial nervous moments in the San Gabriel. Known to break slowly, he was off even more tardily than usual, spotting the field a couple of extra lengths.

But he was not as keen as in some of his prior races, and jockey Antonio Fresu was able to keep him settled behind splits of :24.64, :48.76, and 1:12.66 as longshot Eastern Ocean  set a comfortable pace under just mild pressure from Tio Magico in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds and older.

Coming into the stretch, Tio Magico, also trained by D'Amato, took over from Eastern Ocean, holding the lead until nearly a sixteenth of a mile remained, but he was caught late by the top two. Easter swooped wide into the stretch to take command, while a ground-saving Missed the Cut under Irad Ortiz Jr. rallied to nip Tio Magico by a nose for the place with a perfect trip.

"I'm really happy with his performance," Fresu said of Easter. "He is not an easy horse to (train) or to ride, but I really think there is a lot more there."

'He flew home'

The gelding was timed in 1:47.60 on firm ground. He paid $3.40 to win.

"They didn't go that fast early, and for him to come from behind and make that big looping move and not look back—he flew home," D'Amato said of a final eighth of a mile from Easter in just over :11.

The trainer notched his first win in the San Gabriel, one of the few graded turf stakes in Southern California that he had not captured. Fresu, who joined the California riding colony this summer after riding in Dubai and his native Italy, also picked up his first San Gabriel victory.

• Sol Kumin's Madaket Stables owns Easter, who, after racing in France through 2021, joined Motion's East Coast-based stable in 2022.
• The gelding elevated his performances over the second half of 2023 when sent west into a division ripe for a newcomer.
• Easter, bred in France by Aleyrion Bloodstock by Exosphere  out of the Exceed And Excel  mare Excellent Girl —earned $120,000 in the San Gabriel to advance his earnings to $567,910. 

D'Amato attributes Easter's current streak to the gelding's gaining confidence in the restricted Lure for Motion and enjoying the firmer turf courses in typically dry Southern California. 

"So between those two things and getting to know his little quirks—he is a very quirky horse—and just knowing you know what he likes to do and keeping him happy, hopefully the sky's the limit," D'Amato said.