Trainer D'Amato is Ready for Del Mar Meet

It didn’t take long for trainer Phil D’Amato to get back into the swing of things at Del Mar. The 49-year-old conditioner swept both ends of the stakes doubleheader on the first Saturday of the meet, winning the $100,000 Wickerr with Almendares and then the G2 San Clemente with Thought Process. He may have grabbed another stakes win had his 3-5 favorite Iron Man Cal not gone down to his nose at the start of the Oceanside Stakes before rushing up the rail to just miss winning the opening day feature.

Del Mar’s leading trainer in 2022 and 2023 has made a habit of winning lots of stakes, sometimes sweeping the exactas and, on occasion, taking the trifecta. D’Amato failed to win either training title at Del Mar in 2024, but he served notice this spring at Santa Anita, winning their Hollywood meet training crown, and he’s come out of the gate strong this summer at Del Mar.

“We definitely gear up for the second half of the year,” D’Amato says, “and Del Mar is part of that. The purses are really good here and it’s when the bigger races start to take hold leading into the Breeders’ Cup.”

D’Amato has his usual string of quality horses in the barn. He has Iscreamuscream, last year’s Horse of the Meet at Del Mar, who has yet to race in 2025.

“She’ll probably run during the second half of the meet,” D’Amato reveals. “You might see her run in the (G2 John) Mabee.”

That’s on closing weekend, September 6.

Gold Phoenix is back. The 7-year-old Irish-bred was supposed to run in the G2 Eddie Read last weekend, but was scratched the day of the race after suffering a cut to his leg in his stall. He’ll work this Sunday and be pointed to the G2 Del Mar Handicap August 30 on the Pacific Classic undercard, a race he’s won an unprecedented three straight years.

D’Amato could have at least two horses running in the G2 Del Mar Mile on Pacific Classic Day. He’s pointing Almendares to the race and he’s thinking of running King of Gosford, winner of this year’s G1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita.

Thought Process will step up after her win in the San Clemente. She’s being pointed to the G1 Del Mar Oaks on August 23. Also in the barn are Motorious, runner-up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, as well as the 2024 John Mabee winner Hang the Moon.

D’Amato hopes to give Iron Man Cal another try before the meet ends. He says he wasn’t too frustrated with the near miss in the Oceanside.

“That was our prep for the Del Mar Derby,” D’Amato notes. “So as long as he came out of it in good shape and got something out of the Oceanside, we know, if he breaks well next time, he’ll be a main contender.”