Grade I Winner Gold Phoenix Makes Seasonal Bow In Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes Going 1 ½ Miles On Turf At Santa Anita

GRADE I WINNER GOLD PHOENIX MAKES SEASONAL BOW IN SATURDAY’S GRADE III, $100,000 SAN LUIS REY STAKES GOING 1 ½ MILES ON TURF AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, CA (March 17, 2024)—Grade I winner Gold Phoenix, unraced since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar, launches his 7-year-old campaign Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes going 1 ½ miles at Santa Anita.

Trained by Phil D’Amato, Gold Phoenix finished 3 ½ lengths back of winner Rebels Romance as a 32-1 longshot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, also at 1 ½ miles. The Belardo gelding has worked eight times at Santa Anita since Jan. 27 for his comeback. He will have regular rider Kyle Frey in the irons.

Gold Phoenix enters with a record of 23: 8-3-3 and $1,787,757 in earnings. He is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, Marsha Naify and Agave Racing Stable. Last year, Gold Phoenix won both the GII Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita and the GII Del Mar Handicap. His biggest win came in 2023 when taking down the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita.

Joining Gold Phoenix in the lineup for D’Amato are stablemates Easter and Divin Propos.

Easter exits a second-place finish in the GIII San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles Feb. 8 at Santa Anita. He rallied to finish 3 ¼ lengths back of There Goes Harvard, who was not entered back in the San Luis Rey. Bred in France, Easter is a 7-year-old gelding by Exosphere. He is seeking his first win since the GII San Gabriel in December 2023.

Owned by Madaket Stable, Easter is 26: 7 -5-3 with $681,410 in earnings. He will have regular rider Antonio Fresu aboard.

Divin Propos finished fourth in the San Marcos while never threatening. The 5-year-old gelding by George Vancouver, who was bred in France, is 13: 4-2-3 with $143,918 in earnings. He is seeking his first stakes win. Divin Propos will have Ricky Gonzalez aboard for the first time.

Atitlan, trained by John Shirreffs, finished fifth in the San Marcos after being forwardly placed. Last year, the now 4-year-old colt by The Factor won the GII Twilight Derby at Santa Anita and was third in both the GII Del Mar Derby and GII Mathis Mile at Santa Anita.

Atitlan has a record of 8: 2-0-3 with $240,000 in earnings for owner John M. O’Connor. He will be ridden by Hector Berrios, who was also aboard in the San Marcos.

__THE SAN LUIS REY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER __

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m.

1. Wizard of Westwood—Kazushi Kimura—122
2. Megayacht—Mike Smith—120
3. Easter—Antonio Fresu—124
4. Balladeer—Geovanni Franco—124
5. Midnight Mammoth—Armando Ayuso—124
6. Gold Phoenix—Kyle Frey—124
7. Divin Propos—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
8. Atitlan—Hector Berrios—124

First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.