Gold Phoenix Makes Seasonal Bow In Saturday’s Grade III, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes
At 9h40, on March 18, 2025 • By Santa Anita
Grade I winner Gold Phoenix, unraced since finishing fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Nov. 2 at Del Mar, launches his 7-year-old campaign Saturday in the Grade III, $100,000 San Luis Rey Stakes going 1 ½ miles at Santa Anita.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Gold Phoenix finished 3 ½ lengths back of winner Rebels Romance as a 32-1 longshot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, also at 1 ½ miles. The Belardo gelding has worked eight times at Santa Anita since Jan. 27 for his comeback. He will have regular rider Kyle Frey in the irons.
Gold Phoenix enters with a record of 23: 8-3-3 and $1,787,757 in earnings. He is owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, Marsha Naify and Agave Racing Stable. Last year, Gold Phoenix won both the GII Charles Whittingham at Santa Anita and the GII Del Mar Handicap. His biggest win came in 2023 when taking down the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita.
Joining Gold Phoenix in the lineup for D’Amato are stablemates Easter and Divin Propos.
Easter exits a second-place finish in the GIII San Marcos going 1 ¼ miles Feb. 8 at Santa Anita. He rallied to finish 3 ¼ lengths back of There Goes Harvard, who was not entered back in the San Luis Rey. Bred in France, Easter is a 7-year-old gelding by Exosphere. He is seeking his first win since the GII San Gabriel in December 2023.
Owned by Madaket Stable, Easter is 26: 7 -5-3 with $681,410 in earnings. He will have regular rider Antonio Fresu aboard.
Divin Propos finished fourth in the San Marcos while never threatening. The 5-year-old gelding by George Vancouver, who was bred in France, is 13: 4-2-3 with $143,918 in earnings. He is seeking his first stakes win. Divin Propos will have Ricky Gonzalez aboard for the first time.
