Gold Phoenix Captures Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita

A distance that had eluded Gold Phoenix through five previous attempts finally yielded on Saturday, when the 8-year-old Irish-bred gelding closed from deep in the field to win the Grade 3, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita Park, completing a patient off-the-pace rally to beat front-runner Flashiest by three-quarters of a length at 1½ miles on a firm turf course.

Jockey Hector Isaac Berrios navigated Gold Phoenix through a winding trip on the hillside downhill course, settling the son of Belardo toward the back of the eight-horse field through the early stages. Gold Phoenix moved inside first time through the stretch, shifted to the two path on the clubhouse turn, crept into contention on the backstretch, and angled outside turning for home. He headed Flashiest entering the final furlong and drew clear to secure his ninth career graded-stakes win for trainer Philip D'Amato and owners Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.

Flashiest, the 12-1 longshot ridden by Armando Ayuso from post position 1, had set the pace throughout and still clung to a slim advantage at the eighth pole before Gold Phoenix swept past. Ayuso lost his crop with a sixteenth of a mile remaining, but the front-runner stayed on gamely for second. Mondego, ridden by Emisael Jaramillo for trainer Michael McCarthy, made a three-wide bid on the far turn and fought through the lane but finished third, 1¼ lengths behind Flashiest. Truly Quality, the 5-2 second choice ridden by Antonio Fresu, finished fourth.

The victory was notable for what it represented on multiple fronts. It was Gold Phoenix's first win at 1½ miles, a distance that had been a persistent blind spot despite his dominance at 1 3/8 miles, where he owns four Grade 2 wins including consecutive Del Mar Handicap titles. It also extended his remarkable streak of winning at least one graded stakes in five consecutive years. His career record now stands at 31 starts, 11 wins, 3 seconds and 5 thirds, with earnings exceeding $2.36 million.

The win came on the heels of a discouraging effort. Gold Phoenix had finished a dull seventh in last month's San Marcos Stakes (G3), running three wide throughout the 1¼-mile race and failing to respond when given running room at the top of the stretch. That start was his first in more than three months.

Berrios was back in the irons for the first time since the pair won the Grade 2 Eddie Read at Del Mar in 2023. Regular rider Kazushi Kimura was out of town, creating the reunion. Gold Phoenix paid $8.40 as the 8-5 favorite.

"He's eight and he keeps going," said Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing. "It is just one of those things that you can't put a word to it. He just gives it his all every time.