Trainer Phil D'Amato's stable may not have been able to win the Kentucky Derby (G1) with Stronghold, but it didn't miss a beat at Santa Anita Park. D'Amato trainees Gold Phoenix and Prince Abama ran one-two in the May 4 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T) to give D'Amato his second victory on the card.
Both of those wins came for horses owned all or in part by Little Red Feather Racing. Rexford took the third race for the ownership group, while Little Red Feather owns Gold Phoenix with Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.
Balladeer set most of the fractions in the 1 1/4-mile Whittingham, carving out the first quarter-mile in :24.14 and the half-mile in :48.31. Gold Phoenix, ridden by Kyle Frey, raced in third on the rail, moved outside on the second turn, and gamely surged between horses to battle with Balladeer. He then had to hold off closers Prince Abama and favored Planetario to score by a head in 2:00.91. Prince Abama outfinished Planetario by a nose for second.
The Whittingham win comes with an automatic entry to the July 6 Eclipse Stakes (G1) at Sandown Park in England.
"I think the team needs to discuss whether to go to Royal Ascot and just stick around England for a few extra weeks and have a nice start to the summer," said Gary Fenton of Little Red Feather.
Irish-bred Gold Phoenix started once in Ireland, winning his debut at Dundalk, but has spent the rest of his career in Southern California. He won last year's Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T), Del Mar Handicap (G2T), and Eddie Read Stakes (G2T). Mighty Universe bred the 6-year-old gelded son of Belardo—Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast.
