Gold Phoenix © Benoit Photo
Irish-bred Gold Phoenix rallied along the rail in the final sixteenth under jockey Kyle Frey to win the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap Presented by the Japan Racing Association for the third straight year.
Gold Phoenix, outrun behind a slow pace until the stretch, responded with a brilliant spurt to score by a neck in 2:17.05 for the mile and three-eighths over a firm Del Mar grass course.
Second in a gritty performance under Hector Barrios was Dicey Mo Chara, who was a head in front of Balnikhov in the field of six older horses. Scratched from the original field were Balladeer and There Goes Harvard.
The Del Mar Handicap was one of four stakes on the supporting program to the Grade I $1 million FanDuel Racing Pacific Classic.
The Del Mar Handicap is a “Win and You’re In” event leading up to the Breeders’ Cup which will take place at Del Mar Nov. 1 and 2. Gold Phoenix thus ensured a place in that contest. The six-year-old gelding, owned by Little Red Feather Racing and Sterling Stables and trained by Phil D’Amato, was fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf a year ago.
Gold Phoenix’s victory was his eighth in 21 outings and first prize of $180,000 increased his bankroll to $1,522, 757. Interestingly, Frey is the third rider to win the Del Mar Handicap on Gold Phoenix, following the example of Flavien Prat and Juan Hernandez.
The winner, a 2-1 favorite, paid $6.80.
KYLE FREY (Gold Phoenix, winner) – “He’s such a cool horse. He just does what he does and he loves to fight. He’s fun to (gallop and work) in the mornings. He knows what it’s all about. Coming for home today on the inside I was hoping something was going to open up. I said to myself, if it doesn’t I’m going to make it open up. Didn’t have to, happily. He’s just fun to ride.”
PHIL D’AMATO (Gold Phoenix, winner) – “Definitely (some anxious moments). Whether we were going to get through and then whether we were going to carry our momentum. Kyle (Frey) just kept going and riding and riding and kept his head down and the big horse got his head in front and got the job done. He’s got a heart of gold. Whenever he can get clear he makes things happen.“
FRACTIONS: :25.77 :51.13 1:16.44 1:41.44 2:05.46 2:17.05
The stakes win was the second of the meet for rider Frey and his first in the Del Mar Handicap. He now has four stakes wins at Del Mar.
The stakes win was the fourth of the meet for trainer D’Amato and his ninth in the Del Mar Handicap, including the last three in a row. He now has 58 stakes wins at Del Mar.
The winning owners are Little Red Feather Racing (headed by Billy Koch of Woodland Hills, CA) and partners.