Public Assembly to Close Out 2025 in Frankel Stakes

Hours before the new year, Santa Anita Park hosts the final graded stakes race of 2025: the $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes (G3T) on Dec. 31.

(Editor's note: Racing at Santa Anita Park has been canceled on Wednesday and Jan. 1 due to heavy rains expected in the area.)

Trainer Phil D'Amato has two of the seven entries in the 1 1/8-mile turf event for fillies and mares: Public Assembly , the 8-5 morning-line favorite, and Sun Of Hill , a 10-1 chance. Both are well drawn on the inside in a race void of pace.

Public Assembly, a 4-year-old More Than Ready filly owned by Abbondanza Racing, McNulty Thoroughbreds, and Medallion Racing, is 2-2-0 in seven starts since joining D'Amato's barn last winter after being acquired by her owners for $225,000 from the Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale in 2024. She won the Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T) in the spring at Santa Anita and most recently was second in the Nov. 23 Red Carpet Stakes (G3T) at Del Mar.

Finishing behind her that afternoon were two other Frankel Stakes runners: C R K Stable's Paradise Lake , who showed 1 1/2 lengths behind Public Assembly; and R Unicorn Stable's Sun Of Hill, another neck back in fourth. Paradise Lake, trained by Peter Eurton, is the 2-1 second favorite in the Frankel Stakes, the seventh race on the card.

Earlier Wednesday is the $100,000 Eddie Logan Stakes, where Amerman Racing's graded stakes winner Stark Contrast  returns after a last-out second in the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) at Del Mar for trainer Michael McCarthy.