Gold Phoenix superior a number of streaks by capturing the Aug. 31 Del Mar Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar. Not solely was the 6-year-old gelding successful the race for the third time, however he additionally gave Little Purple Feather Racing 5 of the final seven editions and coach Phil D’Amato his ninth victory within the final 11 runnings.
It virtually did not occur, with favored Gold Phoenix saving his best dramatic flourish for the ultimate strides.
Dicey Mo Chara led virtually all through the complete 1 3/8 miles on the turf, taking the lead from the outset. He set fractions of :25.77 for the primary quarter-mile and :51.13 for a half-mile as second-choice Grasp Piece sat inside a size in second.
Kyle Frey had Gold Phoenix loping alongside in third, operating evenly with longshot El Encinal . Frey has partnered with the gelding in his final three begins in addition to within the mornings.
“He is such a cool horse,” the jockey stated. “He simply does what he does and he likes to combat. He is aware of what it is all about.”
Dicey Mo Chara held onto his lead into the stretch, with Grasp Piece persevering with to problem. Nevertheless, Frey snuck Gold Phoenix up the rail to surge ahead and nail a recreation Dicey Mo Chara proper on the wire by a neck in 2:17.05. Balnikhov , additionally skilled by D’Amato, closed furiously for third, a head behind Dicey Mo Chara. Grasp Piece light late and ended up fifth, as D’Amato-trained Rockemperor completed fourth.
The Little Purple Feather partnership, which introduced its ordinary enthusiastic bunch to the winner’s circle, owns Gold Phoenix with Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.
“He ran his basic race in the present day,” Naify stated. “He wasn’t too far again, so within the stretch he put the fuel on and made his transfer. And he had sufficient room to try this. I really like the turf races—it is fabulous.”
Gold Phoenix’s first graded victory of his profession occurred within the 2022 Del Mar Handicap. He added the 2023 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park previous to a wonderful 2023 summer season Del Mar assembly, when he captured the Eddie Learn Stakes (G2T) and Del Mar Handicap. He has been out and in throughout 2024, with two unplaced efforts cut up by a win within the Might 4 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T).
Naify was additionally a accomplice with Little Purple Feather in Trend Enterprise , who received the 2018 Del Mar Handicap. Little Purple Feather campaigned 2020 winner Purple King in a distinct partnership. D’Amato skilled Trend Enterprise and Purple King, in addition to Large John B , who received the race in 2014-15; Hunt in 2017; and Acclimate in 2019.
Mighty Universe bred Gold Phoenix in Eire from the Mizzen Mast mare Magnifica , a Juddmonte homebred who began six occasions, with one win and two seconds. The mare is a full sister to a number of graded winner and stakes producer Jibboom and to Hong Kong grade 1 winner Sea Defence.
Gold Phoenix is by Belardo , who stood for a 2024 stud charge of £5,500 at Bearstone Stud close to Shropshire, England. The stallion’s different stakes winners embody D’Amato-trained Bellabel , winner of this 12 months’s Megahertz Stakes (G3T) and the 2022 San Clemente Stakes (G2T) and Blue Norther Stakes.
Gold Phoenix earned his third journey to the Breeders’ Cup with the win within the Del Mar Handicap, a Breeders’ Cup Problem Collection occasion. The victory secured the gelding an automated, fees-paid berth to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T), a race by which he completed tenth in 2022 and fourth in 2023.
