Veteran Gold Phoenix Makes Season Debut in San Marcos

Eight-year-old Gold Phoenix  will make his seasonal debut in the $100,000 San Marcos Stakes (G3T) Feb. 14 at Santa Anita Park, going 1 1/4 miles over the downhill turf course.

Returning to a track he has had much success over, the Philip D'Amato trainee enters the race off a game fifth-place finish in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar after being compromised at the break. Prior to that race, he won back-to-back graded stakes races—the John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) and the Del Mar Handicap (G2T).

The hard-knocking Belardo  gelding, campaigned by Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify, has earned more than $2.3 million during his illustrious career and doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. He enters the race off a bullet work, going 5 furlongs in :59 over Santa Anita's all-weather track. 

Among his opponents is the Peter Eurton trainee, Stay Hot , runner-up to Gold Phoenix in both the John Henry and Del Mar Handicap. The 5-year-old son of Summer Front  has been winless in his last five starts.

Trainer Michael McCarthy sends out two entries in Amerman Racing's Endlessly  and Cheyenne Stable's Mondego , whose last start came in the San Gabriel Stakes (G3T) Dec. 28, where he finished third ahead of Stay Hot in fourth and Endlessly in fifth. 

Augustin Stables' two-time Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) winner Truly Quality  will attempt to avenge his sixth-place finish in the San Marcos last year.