G1 Winner King of Gosford Returns in American Stakes

Grade 1 winner King of Gosford  seeks to reclaim his Santa Anita Park throne April 18 when he returns from a 7 1/2-month layoff in the $100,000 American Stakes (G3T).

Campaigning for Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Jeremy Peskoff, the 5-year-old son of Zoustar  has worked up a stellar record of 5-1-1 from seven starts over the Arcadia, Calif., turf. His last appearance on the surface came in May when he surged late to take the Shoemaker Mile Stakes (G1T) by a neck.

His only start since came in August at Del Mar where he never fired and finished a well-beaten sixth in the Del Mar Mile Stakes (G2T). He returned to the work tab for Phil D'Amato in mid-February.

Despite his credentials, King of Gosford is the third choice at 7-2 on the morning line. Favored in the field of seven is his D'Amato-trained stablemate Almendares , who races for CYBT, McLean Racing Stables, Gevertz, Nentwig, and Ray Pagano.

Almendares has been in great form recently despite winning only once in his last seven starts. All six of those defeats were by less than 2 lengths, including a third in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes (G1T) Jan. 24.

Perry and Ramona Bass' Sumter  is the 5-2 second choice for Richard Mandella off his nose victory in the March 14 San Simeon Stakes (G3T) over 6 1/2 furlongs. He stretches back out to 1 mile, a distance at which he is 4-1-2 from nine starts.