Phil D'Amato

Antonio Fresu, Phil D'Amato and Reddam Racing were the leading jockey, trainer and owner, respectively, at the just-concluded Santa Anita Hollywood meeting at the Arcadia oval. A native of Sardinia, the 34-year-old Fresu booted home 33 winners from 183 rides (18%), narrowly besting Armando Ayuso on 31 wins. Fresu, who shifted his tack to Santa Anita in December 2023, missed the first five weeks of 2026 with a left foot injury suffered on opening day of the season Dec. 28. "The year didn't start like we wanted to, so this...

With June around the corner, the graded stakes calendar heats back up as Churchill Downs hosts its Stephen Foster Preview on Saturday. The local prep for the June 28 running of the GI Stephen Foster Stakes, the GIII Blame Stakes is one of six higher-level races on the card and could be deemed as wide-open. Wathnan Racing's Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) has the class edge though. The 2025 winner of the G1 Dubai World Cup returned to Meydan back in late March, but was unable to duplicate the feat....

Mission accomplished. Three months ago, after Thought Process (f, 4, Collected--Creative Thinking, by Creative Cause) kickstarted her 4-year-old campaign with a win in the Feb. 28 GII Buena Vista Stakes at Santa Anita, Billy Koch of Little Red Feather Racing said, "Ultimately, our goal has always been the Gamely." On Monday, that vision became reality with jockey Hector Berrios pumping his arm in celebration as Thought Process crossed the wire much the best in the 1 1/8-mile GI Gamely Stakes on Santa Anita's Memorial Day program. It marked the chestnut's...

A pair of Grade I turf tests in addition to the GII Hollywood Gold Cup highlight Santa Anita's Memorial Day card. Kicking off Monday's graded action, the Gold Cup will feature a quintet of hard-knocking handicappers, including Grade I winners Subsanador (Arg) (Fortify), victorious over ultimate champion National Treasure (Quality Road) in the 2024 renewal of the GI California Crown and last season's GI Big 'Cap winner British Isles (Justify). Now seven, the Argentine multiple Grade I winner returned off a 2 1/2-year hiatus to finish fourth in both starts...

4th-KEE, $110K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 2:36 p.m. ET. PHANTOM BLUE (Ghostzapper), a Resolute Racing purchase for $1.2-million during the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale, was sent to trainer Brendan Walsh. Out of the winning Seeking the Blue (Arch), the filly is a half-sister to MGSP Janis Joplin (California Chrome), MSP Vino Rouge (Vino Rosso) and as of Mar. 27 she has a new half-brother by Not This Time. Phantom Blue's third dam is MGSW Atlantic Ocean (Stormy Atlantic). On the same Speightstown-Medaglia d'Oro cross that yielded current sires...

GI Del Mar Oaks winner Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy) (hip 385) is set to go through the ring Monday as part of the Fasig-Tipton Winter Mixed Sale in Lexington, Kentucky. And while she may not be accompanied by the upbeat jingle of an ice cream truck, she appears set to provide her new owner with just as sweet a future. Consigned as part of the Taylor Made Sales Agency contingent, the 5-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy sells with a confirmed nomination to top stallion Not This Time who is already booked...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Inbox at Santa Anita. Ectot Filly Struts Her Stuff In Arcadia Phil D'Amato saddled Inbox in her American debut, and the three-year-old daughter of Ectot rolled to a 1 1/4-length victory at second asking on Saturday evening (video). Owned by Hopeless Stables, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, the bay filly was bred by Orbis Bloodstock. Out of Trainnah (Pivotal),...

Iscreamuscream (Twirling Candy) (hip 385), winner of the GI Del Mar Oaks, has been supplemented to Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale on Monday, Feb. 9. Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, she is offered as a broodmare prospect. A five-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy, Iscreamuscream won her first four career starts at two and three for the ownership partnership of Little Red Feather Racing, Agave Racing Stable, John Hundley Jr., Marsha Naify, and John and Stacey Snyder. Her most important victory came in the GI Del Mar Oaks, where she...

   In this series, the TDN takes a look at notable successes of European-based sires in North America. This week's column is highlighted by the victory of Heads In Beds at Del Mar. Hello Youmzain Filly Wins At Del Mar    Heads In Beds (Hello Youmzain) broke her maiden at Del Mar for Phil D'Amato on November 28 (video). Owned by Bridlewood Farm, e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, Madaket Stables and Michael Dubb, the three-year-old filly was bred by Mette Campbell Andenaes. Mandore International Agency bought the winner on behalf of...

Juan Hernandez, Phil D'Amato and Spendthrift Farm were the leading jockey, trainer and owner, respectively, during the Santa Anita Autumn Meet which concluded Sunday, Oct. 26. It was a ninth jockey's title at Santa Anita for Hernandez, who posted 28 wins from 92 runners (30.4%) and was also tops among jockeys with eight wins in stakes company and $1,707,338 in purse earnings. Umberto Rispoli was runner-up in the standings on 19 winners from 79 mounts ( 24.1%). Among Hernandez's biggest wins at the meet were 'TDN Rising Star' presented by...

DEL MAR, CA - A swing through the course of American Thoroughbred history yields the widely-accepted conclusion that dirt plays the king in these parts, while turf is the patient understudy offstage left--turns are configured in that direction over here. It was not all that long ago that droves of U.S. tracks debated whether putting in a bladed surface and acquiring something called a going stick made any sense. Progressive places like Del Mar's Thoroughbred Club damned the salt in the marine layer and forged ahead with its first course...

Baoma Corp's Nysos (Nyquist) worked six furlongs in 1:11.20 (1/4) Sunday at Santa Anita and remains on track for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, according to trainer Bob Baffert. "Very happy with the work," Baffert said. The 4-year-old Nysos, whose lone loss to date is a narrow runner-up effort behind Mindframe in the GI Churchill Downs Stakes in May, is coming off wins in the GIII Triple Bend Stakes and GII San Diego Handicap. Shortly after that work, Baffert sent out Citizen Bull (Into Mischief) to work the same...