Santa Anita Stable Notes Friday, March 21, 2025

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2025

- • GIII SAN LUIS REY: GI WINNER GOLD PHOENIX AMONG 3 FOR D’AMATO - • WORKS: O’NEILL’S DUBAI-BOUND TRIO, EXPRESS TRAIN LEAD TAB - • SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS WIN CHARITY HOOPS GAME VS. HOLY ANGELS - • $2 PICK 6 MONDAY PAYS $51K; 1 WINNING TICKET PURCHASED FOR $24 - • FRIDAY’S $1 COAST-TO-COAST STARTS AT 1:47 P.M. PT

GIII SAN LUIS REY: GI WINNER GOLD PHOENIX LEADS D’AMATO TRIO

Trainer Phil D’Amato will saddle three of the eight runners in Saturday’s GIII San Luis Rey Stakes including Grade I winner Gold Phoenix, who makes his first start since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar Nov. 2.

Gold Phoenix is installed as the 9-5 favorite in the San Luis Rey, which is contested at 1 ½ miles on turf. He will be joined in the lineup by stablemates Easter (2-1) and Divin Propos (6-1).

Gold Phoenix has worked eight times since Jan. 27 for his 7-year-old debut. In the Breeders’ Cup Turf, the Irish-bred gelding by Belardo finished fourth, beaten 3 ½ lengths by Rebels Romance at 32-1.

“He’s training very sharp,” D’Amato said Friday morning. “He has a bunch of really good solid drills in him. We’re looking forward to running him and getting him going.”

Gold Phoenix will again be ridden by Kyle Frey, who has been aboard for his previous five starts. Last year, they teamed to win both the GII Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita and GII Del Mar Handicap.

Easter exits a solid second-place effort to There Goes Harvard in the GIII San Marcos at 1 ¼ miles. While a consistent check earner in graded stakes, the 7-year-old Exosphere gelding is seeking his first win since December 2023 when taking the GII San Gabriel at Santa Anita.

“He’s a horse that acts like he’ll run all day,” D’Amato said. “He ran a good second last time and now we’re getting an extra quarter of a mile. I think the added distance makes him dangerous.”

Easter will have regular rider Antonio Fresu aboard.

Divin Propos is seeking a graded stakes breakthrough after three previous attempts. A 5-year-old gelding by George Vancouver, Divin Propos most recently was a no-threat fourth in the San Marcos. He will have a new rider in the San Luis Rey as Ricky Gonzalez takes over in the irons.

“He’s always been on the cusp and always seems to have excuses,” D’Amato said. “For me, it’s time to put up or shut up. We put Ricky Gonzalez on him to hopefully be a little more aggressive and get him into the race early. We’ll see if that does the trick.”

The San Luis Rey goes as the seventh race on a nine-race card. Post time is set for 4:03 p.m. The field in post position order: Wizard of Westwood, Kazushi Kimura (6-1); Megayacht, Mike Smith (15-1); Easter, Antonio Fresu (2-1); Balladeer, Geovanni Franco (30-1); Midnight Mammoth, Armando Ayuso (30-1); Gold Phoenix, Kyle Frey (7-5).

WORKS: O’NEILL’S DUBAI-BOUND TRIO, EXPRESS TRAIN LEAD TAB

Three horses trained by Doug O’Neill and ticketed for starts on the Dubai World Cup card April 5—Mixto, Katonah and Raging Torrent—plus Express Train highlighted the work tab Friday at Santa Anita.

Mixto and Katonah are both slated to run in the GI Dubai World Cup at 1 ¼ miles on dirt. Mixto, who was fourth in the GI Pegasus World Cup Jan. 25 in his only start this year, worked four furlongs in 48.60 seconds. Katonah worked four furlongs in 50.60 seconds. He finished sixth most recently in the GI Santa Anita Handicap March 1.

Raging Torrent is set to run in the GII Godolphin Mile. Winner of the GI Malibu Dec. 26 at Santa Anita, Raging Torrent worked four furlongs in 50.80 seconds.

Express Train worked for the first time since finishing second in the Santa Anita Handicap. Trained by John Shirreffs, the 8-year-old horse by Union Rags drilled five furlongs in 1:02.40.

SANTA ANITA JOCKEYS WIN CHARITY HOOPS GAME VS. HOLY ANGELS

Led by coach Luis Jauregui and leading scorer Drayden Van Dyke, a team of Santa Anita jockeys defeated the Holy Angels Middle School basketball team Thursday night to snap a lengthy losing streak in the 55th annual charity game.

The Santa Anita jockeys came out on top by a score of 28-22. In addition to Van Dyke, competing for the Santa Anita jockeys were Kent Desormeaux, Edwin Maldonado, Armando Ayuso, Abel Lezcano, Ricky Gonzalez, Diego Herrera, Geovanni Franco, Kevin Orozco and Sofia Barandela. Serving as Jauregui’s assistant coach was fellow former jockey Darrell Haire.

“Everyone played great,” said Jauregui, who was making his coaching debut. “They were really hustling.”

Prior to the game, fans were treated to an autograph session with legendary Hall of Fame jockeys Laffit Pincay Jr. and Mike Smith.

Proceeds from the event went to support the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund and Holy Angles athletics.

FINISH LINES: Friday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast starts at 1:47 p.m. PT with the eighth race from Gulfstream Park… A pool scoop in Monday’s $2 Pick Six paid $51,279.00. The lone winning ticket was purchased for just $24 through Twinspires…Jockey Kazushi Kimura returns from injury Friday at Sana Anita. The 25-year-old native of Japan has three mounts Friday, seven on Saturday including aboard Wizard of Westwood in the GIII San Luis Rey, and two on Sunday…Trainer Arnold Torres won at Santa Anita for the first time Monday. He scored in the sixth race with longshot Lion’s Lair ($39.80), who was ridden by Tiago Pereira. …Horseplayer Leo Vukmanovich will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Saturday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 11:50 a.m.