Phil D’Amato, who is far ahead of all the other coaches at Santa Anita . Park this year thanks to his win and pocket income, put his factory steady Del Mar ready to continue his reign. He had 4 of the 13 3-year-old trackers entered into the $200,000 San Clemente Stakes (G2T) on July 23.
The experienced quartet ranges from a classified bet winner to a non-winner of 2. All four are Irish hybrids who started their racing careers in Europe. Three have run exclusively on grass, while fourth have competed on grass and synthetics.
“It took me a while to figure out the winning formula for how they adapt,” says D’Amato. “I think that’s the most important part, treating them all as individuals.”
The formula is working. Love Island became the classified winner of D’Amato’s Santa Anita banner season, when the coach led 63 winners and had a run-in of more than $5.3 million. Daughter of Zodiac captured the Senorita Stakes (G3T) on 7 May at one mile on grass and then finished second at 1/8 mile on grass in the May 29 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T).
In the second race, she finished a little later, losing to Cairo Memories, the top second-place team in California. The second is out of San Clemente after eastbound transport and runs near fifth in Belmont Oaks Inviting Shares (G1T) on July 9.
“She’s been really good in her last two races,” D’Amato said of Island of Love. “I think this one-mile distance might suit her best.”
Island of Love, owned by R Unicorn Stable, drew pole 8 in San Clemente and will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who leads all riders at Santa Anita. She could give D’Amato his first San Clemente victory. The trainer missed half the time last year with Go global .
Other San Clemente top contenders for D’Amato include Bellabel and Helens Well . Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig and Ray Pagano own both, with Madaket Stables participating in Helens Well.
(LR): Co-owners Michael Nentwig and Phil D’Amato celebrate winning from Going Global during the Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita Park
Bellabel, in her only start in the country, won the Blue Norther Stakes on January 2 in Santa Anita. Daughter of Belardo Haven’t raced since. D’Amato named Umberto Rispoli on Bellabel from post 6.
“We turned her down – she had a long campaign when she was 2 when we got her,” D’Amato said. “She won for the first time, so we thought it was the right time to give her a breather and point to these races in the second half of the year.”
Helens Well, by stallion Kodiac Kodi . Bear , finished third in the Blue Norther and in a June 12 subsidy option claimant. Last year, she finished second in two games and ranked in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). Tiago Pereira is about to go from 10th place.
“This is the second time she’s started being fired,” D’Amato said. “Her first start on the bench was fine, but she should get ready and ready. I think this is a pitch that better suits her taste.
Rounding out the D’Amato quartet and perhaps the greatest price to pay for his interns is that of Michael House Sixteen Palaces Riding by Abel Cedillo from Lesson 3. Daughter of Mehmas broke her maidenhood in her hometown on aggregate but was eliminated in three starts at Santa Anita.
D’Amato said: “I wanted to try her on a field more like Europe. “She’s always trained as well as any deposit horse I’ve ever had. But she’s just had a little trouble here and there, enough to get in her way. I think if we’re going to hit her. a shot in a ranked race, this is a stake race to try out.”
She added flashers after racing without them in her first four starts.
The nine opponents facing D’Amato’s athletes include Lucky girl Trained by George Papaprodromou and ridden by Joe Bravo from Lesson 11. Lucky Girl won the Lady of Shamrock Stakes on January 30 and China Doll Stakes on March 6 while being coached by Richard Baltas, whose stables in California has been largely dismantled.
Tezzaray and Anthonys Cleopatra are other equity winners in the field. Tezzaray (Ramon Vazquez, post 4) was coached by Peter Miller and won the November 27 Jimmy Durante Stakes (G3T) one mile at Del Mar in her final start. that. Tim McCanna coaches Anthonys Cleopatra (Frank Alvarado, post 9), winner of the April 30 California Oaks contest at Golden Gate Field.
Lady T, ranked on the ground but unmarked on the pitch, are also attention-grabbing figures. A few of them Into Mischief Filly’s half-siblings are grass-court winners.
Item: San Clemente S. (G2T)
Del MarSaturday, July 23, 2022, Race 11
- Level IIT
- 1m
- Turf
- 200,000 dollars
- 3 yo Fillies
- 7:00pm (local)
