Santa Anita: Shoemaker Mile draws 11, led by Gold Phoenix
Ireland-bred Gold Phoenix, one of three talented turf runners from the Phil D’Amato barn, heads an outstanding field of 11 3-year-olds and up in the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile, one of three Grade 1 stakes on Monday's Memorial Day card at Santa Anita.
Originally run at Hollywood Park in 1938 and renamed to honor legendary late Hall of Fame jockey William Shoemaker, the Shoe Mile is a Breeders’ Cup “Win & You’re In” Challenge Race qualifier, with the winner earning a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4. The Shoe Mile has the distinction of being the first “Win & You’re In” qualifier to be run in North America this year.
A game neck winner over the course of the Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G1) on March 4, Gold Phoenix was most recent fourth, beaten 2 1/2 lengths by repeat winner Offlee Naughty as the 8-5 favorite going a 1 1/4 mile on turf in the Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2) on April 8.
Freshened and unbeaten in two tries at a mile on grass, Gold Phoenix will be reunited with Kazushi Kimura, who has been aboard for his last two starts and will fly in from his Toronto base on Sunday.
A 5-year-old gelding owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsh Naify, Gold Phoenix seeks his third graded stakes win but first Grade 1. He enters the race with a 12: 4-3-3 record and earnings of $687,257.
D’Amato’s other two entrants, fellow Ireland-breds Hong Kong Harry and Balnikov, both enter the race in top form, with Hong Kong Harry toting a stronger resume.
Off at 7-2 in the prestigious Turf Classic (G1) on Derby Day at Churchill Downs, Hong Kong Harry rallied gamely to finish second by 3 3/4 lengths and returns to a course over which he’s got three wins from four tries.
Fourth, beaten 1 1/4 lengths by Gold Phoenix as the even money favorite two starts back in the Kilroe Mile, it’ll be up to regular rider Flavien Prat to get this diminutive 6-year-old gelding a bit farther back off the early pace on Monday.
A three-time graded stakes winner for D’Amato, Hong Kong Harry has been favored in six out of his eight stateside starts, winning five of them. Owned by Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa and Tony Valazza, “Harry” has an overall mark of 15: 9-3-1 for earnings of $789,097.
Bob Baffert’s Du Jour, most recently fourth as the favorite going one mile on turf here in the American Stakes (G3) on April 2, rallied to be second by a neck to Gold Phoenix two starts back in the Kilroe Mile and is a stout contender with East Coast-based rider Luis Saez taking over for the first time.
A 5-year-old gelding by Temple City, Du Jour is owned by Natalie Baffert and Debbie Lanni. With all three of his wins coming on grass, Du Jour is 12: 3-3-2 with earnings of $677,720.