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Gold Phoenix And The Padre A Formidable Duo For D’Amato In The Grade II Charles Whittingham Stakes Going 1 ¼ Miles On Turf Saturday At Santa Anita Park

4/27/2026

GOLD PHOENIX AND THE PADRE A FORMIDABLE DUO FOR D’AMATO IN THE GRADE II CHARLES WHITTINGHAM STAKES GOING 1 ¼ MILES ON TURF SATURDAY AT SANTA ANITA PARK

ARCADIA, CA (April 27, 2026)—Multi-millionaire Gold Phoenix and multiple graded stakes winner The Padre serve as a formidable duo for trainer Phil D’Amato in the Grade II, $200,000 Charles Whittingham Stakes Saturday at Santa Anita Park. The Whittingham is featured on a big 11-race card set for Santa Anita. Fans can also watch and wager on the 152nd Kentucky Derby from the Churchill Downs. So Happy, winner of the Santa Anita Derby earlier this month, is among a quartet of Santa Anita-based horses who will compete.

Gold Phoenix regained his winning form in his second start off the layoff when rallying to win the Grade III San Luis Rey going 1 ¾ miles on turf March 21 at Santa Anita. He got up under Hector Berrios to prevail by three-quarters of a length over Flashiest, who also returns in the Whittingham along with third-place finisher Mondego. With Berrios at Churchill Downs Saturday to ride Santa Anita-based Intrepdio in the Kentucky Derby, Gold Phoenix will be reunited with jockey Kyle Frey in the Whittingham. In 2024, Gold Phoenix and Frey teamed to win the Whittingham by a head.

A 6-year-old gelding by Belardo, Gold Phoenix was bred in Ireland and is owned by Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing and Marsha Naify. He has earned $2,363,087 with a record of 11-3-5 in 31 starts.

The Padre will look to match his stablemate’s effort in the San Luis Rey as this will be his second start following a layoff. After seven months on the sidelines, The Padre returned April 3 at Santa Anita in a 1 1/8-mile allowance on turf. He was outfinished in his comeback when second-best to Gran Oriente by three-quarters of a length. Antonio Fresu rode The Padre for the first time in his return and he again has the call.

The Padre last year, after being imported from his native Ireland, won both the La Jolla Handicap and GII Del Mar Derby at the Del Mar summer meet. A 4-year-old colt by Ghaiyyath, The Padre is 5: 3-2-0 with $273,785 in earnings. He is owned by Little Red Feather, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.

Flashiest, a veteran 8-year-old gelding, has finished second in three graded stakes in his last four starts. Trained by Leonard Powell, Flashiest nearly won the San Luis Rey on the front-end before Gold Phoenix ran him down late. By Mizzen Mast, Flashiest is owned by Wachtel Stable, Gary Barber, Nicolas G. Drion and Mathilde Powell. He’ll have regular rider Armando Ayuso in the irons.

Mondego, trained by Michael McCarthy, finished 1 ¼ lengths back of Gold Phoenix in the San Luis Rey. Previously, Mondego won the GIII San Marcos at the Whittingham distance of 1 ¼-miles. Mondego is a 6-year-old gelding by Lope de Vega bred in Great Britain. He is 20: 4-1-4 with $419,047 in earnings. Mondego will be ridden by Emisael Jaramillo, who was also aboard for his two most recent efforts.

THE GRADE II CHARLES WHITTINGHAM WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 11 Approximate post time 4:30 p.m. PT

  1. Hiding in Honduras—Kazushi Kimura—124

  2. Flashiest—Armando Ayuso—120

  3. Seal Team—Ricky Gonzalez—120

  4. Gold Phoenix—Kyle Frey—122

  5. Mondego—Emisael Jaramillo—122

  6. Balladeer—Kent Desormeaux—120

First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT.