King of Gosford Voted Horse of Hollywood Meet

King of Gosford was voted Horse of the Meet in a poll of racing media that regularly covered the 29-day Hollywood Meet at Santa Anita Park that ended Sunday.  His thrilling victory in the GI Shoemaker Mile was voted the Race of the Meet.

In the Grade I Shoemaker Mile on May 26, King of Gosford uncorked a furious rally in the final furlong under Flavien Prat to prevail by a neck in a three-way photo finish. King of Gosford got up just in time to edge runner-up Mi Hermano Ramon with Cabo Spirit another nose back in third.

A 4-year-old colt by Zoustar, King of Gosford was bred in England and made his first five starts in Europe as a 2-year-old before being imported last year. He is trained domestically by Phil D'Amato and campaigned by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Jeremy Peskoff. The Shoemaker Mile was King of Gosford's fifth stakes victory and pushed his overall record to 17: 7-3-2 with $719,962 in earnings. Last year, he won both the John Shear Stakes and Desert Code Stakes in the spring at Santa Anita, the Let It Ride Stakes at the Del Mar summer meet, and the GII Mathis Mile on opening day of the Santa Anita Classic Meet on Dec. 26.

As for D'Amato, he was voted top trainer of the Hollywood Meet after leading all trainers in wins (27) and purse earnings ($1,573,678). The 49-year-old resident of Monrovia, Calif. Also had five stakes victories to tie Bob Baffert for the most at the stand.

The top 3-year-old filly at the stand was Cash Call, who went a perfect 3-for-3 capped off by a win in the GIII Summertime Oaks when making her stakes debut on June 7. The daughter of McKinzie is trained by Baffert and owned by CSLR Racing Partners.

Baffert also trained the meet's top 3-year-old (Gaming), top sprinter (Nysos), top older filly or mare (Seismic Beauty), top 2-year-old (Desert Gate) and top 2-year-old filly (Himika).

Nysos earned top sprinter honors based off his scintillating 5 1/2-length win in the GIII Triple Bend going seven furlongs on May 31. The 4-year-old Nyquist colt dueled on the lead for the opening half mile that day before drawing away in the stretch to win in a sharp final time of 1:21.28. The effort earned a lofty 108 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the third highest posted this year by a male at distances up to a mile.

Seismic Beauty was 2-for-2 at the stand including a win in the GII Santa Margarita when making her stakes debut May 25. In the 1 1/8-mile Santa Margarita, Seismic Beauty went straight to the lead and romped by five lengths under Antonio Fresu, who was voted the meet's top jockey after leading all riders in wins (34), stakes wins (5) and purse earnings ($1,794,786).

Seismic Beauty's winning time of 1:48.30 in the Santa Margarita earned an eye-catching 104 Beyer Speed Figure. It is the highest Beyer number posted this year by a filly or mare at more than a mile, according to Daily Racing Form. Seismic Beauty's win in the Santa Margarita so impressed voters they also made it the Breakout Performance of the Hollywood Meet.

Below is the complete list of the meet's top performers as voted on by Santa Anita media.

HORSE OF THE MEET

King of Gosford

Owners: Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Jeremy Peskoff

Trainer: Phil D'Amato

Notable: Won GI Shoemaker Mile

TOP TURF HORSE

King of Gosford

TOP SPRINTER

Nysos

Owner: Baoma Corp.

Trainers: Bob Baffert

Notable: Won GIII Triple Bend by 5 ½ lengths, earned 108 Beyer Speed Figure

TOP OLDER HORSE

Skippylongstocking

Owner: Daniel Alonso

Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Notable: Won GII Hollywood Gold Cup

TOP OLDER FILLY OR MARE

Seismic Beauty

Owner: My Racehorse and Peter Leidel

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Notable: 2-for-2 at the meet; Won GII Santa Margarita by 5 lengths in stakes debut; Earned a 104 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort, which to date is the highest posted by a filly or mare this year at more than a mile

TOP FEMALE TURF HORSE

Mrs. Astor

Owner: Augustin Stables

Trainer: Jonathan Thomas

Notable: In three starts at the meet, 5-year-old Lookin at Lucky mare won the Possibly Perfect Stakes and Santa Barbara Stakes and was  2nd in the GIII Santa Ana Stakes

TOP 3-YEAR-OLD

Gaming

Owners: Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Notable: Won Affirmed Stakes for 3-year-olds

TOP 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Cash Call

Owner: CSLR Racing Partners

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Notable: 3-for-3 at the meet; Won GIII Summertime Oaks in stakes debut

TOP 2-YEAR-OLD

Desert Gate

Owners: Michael Pegram, Karl Watson, Paul Weitman

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Notable: Omaha Beach colt won debut going five furlongs on June 13 and earned an 86 Beyer Speed Figure, the second-highest posted by a 2-year-old this year.

TOP 2-YEAR-OLD FILLY

Himika

Owner: Baoma Corp.

Trainer: Bob Baffert

Notable: Daughter of Curlin, a $900,000 auction buy earlier this year, romped by six lengths in debut going five furlongs on June 12.

TOP CLAIMING HORSE

Osage Creek

Owner: WSS Racing

Trainer: Ryan Hanson

Notable Achievement: Followed a $20,000 maiden-claiming win in February, continued his winning ways at the Hollywood Meet with consecutive victories running for a $32,000 tag on turf.

TOP TRAINER

Phil D'Amato

Notable: Led all trainers in both wins (27) and purse earnings ($1,573,678). His five stakes wins tied with Baffert for most at the stand.

TOP JOCKEY

Antonio Fresu

Notable: Won first-ever Santa Anita jockey's title. Led all riders in wins (34), purse earnings ($1,794,786) and stakes wins (5).

TOP OWNER

Nick Alexander

Notable: Won 11 races from 25 starters (44 percent) to earn first Santa Anita owner's title

TOP APPRENTICE

Welfin Orantes

Notable: Won eight races from 69 mounts to crack the top 10 in the jockey's standings for the first time

RACE OF THE MEET

GI Shoemaker Mile

Notable: King of Gosford storms home under Flavien Prat to win by a neck in a three-way photo finish on May 26.

TOP ACHIEVEMENT

Kings River Knight

Notable: Won the Crystal Water Stakes for California-breds for the third consecutive year on May 24. The 7-year-old gelding by Acclamation is trained by John Sadler for owners Integrity Thoroughbred Racing, The Ellwood Johnston Trust and Kenneth A. Tevelde.

BREAKOUT PERFORMANCE

Seismic Beauty's Santa Margarita Win