Gold Phoenix advanced several streaks by capturing the Aug. 31 Del Mar Handicap (G2T) at Del Mar. Not only was the 6-year-old gelding winning the race for the third time, but he also gave Little Red Feather Racing five of the last seven editions and trainer Phil D’Amato his ninth victory in the last 11 runnings.
It almost didn’t happen, with favored Gold Phoenix saving his finest dramatic flourish for the final strides.
Dicey Mo Chara led almost throughout the entire 1 3/8 miles on the turf, taking the lead from the outset. He set fractions of :25.77 for the first quarter-mile and :51.13 for a half-mile as second-choice Master Piece sat within a length in second.
Kyle Frey had Gold Phoenix loping along in third, running evenly with longshot El Encinal . Frey has partnered with the gelding in his last three starts as well as in the mornings.
“He’s such a cool horse,” the jockey said. “He just does what he does and he loves to fight. He knows what it’s all about.”
Dicey Mo Chara held onto his lead into the stretch, with Master Piece continuing to challenge. However, Frey snuck Gold Phoenix up the rail to surge forward and nail a game Dicey Mo Chara right at the wire by a neck in 2:17.05. Balnikhov , also trained by D’Amato, closed furiously for third, a head behind Dicey Mo Chara. Master Piece faded late and ended up fifth, as D’Amato-trained Rockemperor finished fourth.
The Little Red Feather partnership, which brought its usual enthusiastic bunch to the winner’s circle, owns Gold Phoenix with Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify.
“He ran his classic race today,” Naify said. “He wasn’t too far back, so in the stretch he put the gas on and made his move. And he had enough room to do that. I love the turf races—it’s fabulous.”
Gold Phoenix’s first graded victory of his career occurred in the 2022 Del Mar Handicap. He added the 2023 Frank E. Kilroe Mile Stakes (G1T) at Santa Anita Park prior to an excellent 2023 summer Del Mar meeting, when he captured the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) and Del Mar Handicap. He has been in and out during 2024, with two unplaced efforts split by a win in the May 4 Charles Whittingham Stakes (G2T).
Naify was also a partner with Little Red Feather in Fashion Business , who won the 2018 Del Mar Handicap. Little Red Feather campaigned 2020 winner Red King in a different partnership. D’Amato trained Fashion Business and Red King, as well as Big John B , who won the race in 2014-15; Hunt in 2017; and Acclimate in 2019.
Mighty Universe bred Gold Phoenix in Ireland from the Mizzen Mast mare Magnifica , a Juddmonte homebred who started six times, with one win and two seconds. The mare is a full sister to multiple graded winner and stakes producer Jibboom and to Hong Kong grade 1 winner Sea Defence.
Gold Phoenix is by Belardo , who stood for a 2024 stud fee of £5,500 at Bearstone Stud near Shropshire, England. The stallion’s other stakes winners include D’Amato-trained Bellabel , winner of this year’s Megahertz Stakes (G3T) and the 2022 San Clemente Stakes (G2T) and Blue Norther Stakes.
Gold Phoenix earned his third trip to the Breeders’ Cup with the win in the Del Mar Handicap, a Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series event. The victory secured the gelding an automatic, fees-paid berth to the $5 million Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T), a race in which he finished 10th in 2022 and fourth in 2023.
