Santa Anita: D'Amato enters 21 horses for closing weekend
With 21 horses entered over the next three days at Santa Anita, it’s going to be a busy weekend for the Phil D’Amato barn to close out the spring meet.
The D’Amato brigade includes runners in both stakes Saturday plus the comebacking Thought Process, a multiple stakes winner who hasn’t started since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November. Thought Process, who was scratched from last Saturday’s Summertime Oaks (G3) on dirt, makes her belated return in Saturday’s fourth race, a one-mile allowance on turf for 3-year-old fillies. Thought Process is the 3-5 morning line favorite.
Later on Saturday’s card, D’Amato has another morning-line favorite making his seasonal debut in the Daytona (G3). Motorious, who was second by a neck in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, is the 6-5 morning line favorite in what will be his first start since winning the Joe Hernandez (G2) on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita. Like the Joe Hernandez, the Daytona is also contested at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course. Motorious, a 7-year-old gelding, will have Antonio Fresu aboard.
“Hopefully he’s ready for a good comeback. This should be a good spot to get him started,” said D’Amato, who enters closing weekend with a six-win lead in the trainer’s standings at the Hollywood Meet.
In Saturday’s Possibly Perfect for fillies and mares at 1 1/4 miles on turf, D’Amato has three runners in 5-2 second choice Starry Heavens, Kentucky Gal (3-1) and long shot Paris Secret (15-1). Starry Heavens will be making her third start in the U.S. after a pair of promising efforts. She finished third in the Santa Ana (G3) at 1 1/4 miles in March then was second to Mrs. Astor in the 1 1/2-mile Santa Barbara on May 4. Mrs. Astor is also entered in the Possibly Perfect and is the 6-5 favorite. However, Mrs. Astor is cross entered in Sunday’s San Juan Capistrano (G3) against males at about 1 3/4 miles on turf where she is also favored. On Friday morning, trainer Jonathan Thomas said he was leaning toward the Possibly Perfect but had not made a final decision.
As for Starry Heavens, she will break from the outside post in a potential bid to turn the tables on Mrs. Astor.
“Starry Heavens is proven at the distance and is training well, but we still have to beat Mrs. Astor and hopefully we can do it,” D’Amato said.
Kentucky Gal exits a career-best performance winning a first-level allowance at 1 1/4 miles on turf April 27. Both Kentucky Gal and Starry Heavens had Fresu aboard for their most recent starts. The jockey elected to stick with Starry Heavens in the Possibly Perfect. Juan Hernandez takes over aboard Kentucky Gal.
“(Fresu) had the option and thought Starry Heavens was just a little more accomplished,” D’Amato said. “But it was tough. Kentucky Gal is an up-and-comer.”