Gold Phoenix Heads D'Amato Quartet in John Henry Turf

While Bob Baffert may rule the dirt tracks in Southern California, Phil D'Amato is arguably the West Coast king of the turf. One must look no further than the trainer's quartet of strong runners in Santa Anita Park's John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) Sept. 28 to see the conditioner's turf prowess in the entry box.

Heading D'Amato's formidable foursome is John Henry co-highweight Gold Phoenix . The gelding who failed to meet his reserve when he brought a final bid of $26,314 as a yearling has now earned over $1.5 million on the track for Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify. A graded stakes winner from one mile to 1 3/8 miles, the 6-year-old gelding enters Saturday's $750,000 1 1/4-mile contest for older horses off a gusty late-running victory over reopposing Dicey Mo Chara  and stablemate Balnikhov  in the Aug. 31 Del Mar Handicap (G2T).

By winning his third consecutive Del Mar Handicap, the Belardo  gelding secured his slot in the starting gate for this November's Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T), a race he has competed in twice before in 2022 and 2023 (finishing tenth and fourth). The Del Mar was the second graded win this year for Gold Phoenix, who had captured the Charlie Whittingham Stakes (G2T) at Santa Anita in May. Kyle Frey, aboard for both of those wins, takes the reins.

"We've run (Gold Phoenix) in the Breeders' Cup (Turf) the last couple years and that's what we point to with him," D'Amato said. "He ran great in the Del Mar Handicap. This should set him up nicely for the Breeders' Cup."

Chief among the deep closers gunning at Gold Phoenix late will be his barn mate, Balnikhov. The 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding also runs for the Little Red Feather Racing partnership, though he is co-owned by Madaket Stables and Old Bones Stable. Primarily seen as a miler type in his time in the U.S., the son of Adaay  has developed into a solid two-turn performer for D'Amato. He answered questions about his distance limitations with a fast-finishing narrow third-place finish in the 1 3/8-mile Del Mar last time out. Three starts back, Balnikhov roared to a convincing 1 1/2-length victory in the Dinner Party Stakes (G3T) on Preakness Day May 18 traveling 1 1/8-miles.

"(Balnikhov is) a horse that can benefit from a good pace, but really what we have found out is he likes these longer distances," D'Amato said. "That's the key for him."

Flavien Prat, flying into town for Santa Anita's Super Saturday of racing, pilots the gelding for the first time.

D'Amato will also saddle Divin Propos , a two-time allowance winner, in his North American stakes debut, as well as 8-year-old Rockemperor . Formerly trained by Chad Brown, Rockemperor has failed to find the form that carried him to scores in the 2021 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1T) and 2022 Bowling Green Stakes (G2T). The millionaire gelding has run some encouraging speed figures since relocating to D'Amato's California stable however, finishing a close second in the San Juan Capistrano Stakes (G3T) and fourth in the Del Mar Handicap.

Apart from the D'Amato quartet, trainer Rick Dutrow's Master Piece  will attempt to regain his former graded glory after failing to hit the board in his last two outings. A two-time graded stakes winner in New York, he faded to finish fifth in the Del Mar after pressing the early pace.