Philip D'Amato

Rolling like an express train late, Yellow Card (Lost Treasure {Ire}) gave his connections an emotional victory to kick off his 2026 campaign in the Clocker's Corner Stakes. A runner-up in the GII Eddie D Stakes three back Sept. 27 at this venue, the Michael McCarthy trainee missed the board in his last two jumps for that season--namely, the Stormy Liberal Stakes at Del Mar where he ran fifth and last out Dec. 29 when he finished sixth in the GII Joe Hernandez Stakes. Sent off here at 3-1 odds,...

The Padre, who closed into a tepid pace to win the La Jolla Handicap last time out, repeated the dose Sunday, powering to the lead late to make it two in a row over the Del Mar lawn in the GII Del Mar Derby. The 3-5 favorite was well held while positioned off the pedestrian pace set by Freedom's Not Free. He rolled up three wide at the top of the lane and surged past the pacesetter to win with authority. "He was up against it last time with no...

Velocity is defined as the speed of an object going in a given direction, and the aptly named Velocity (Nyquist) proved to be moving fastest as she snuck up the fence to post a monster 35-1 upset in the GI Del Mar Oaks. A photo finish specialist with two victories by a combined margin of barely half a head, the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners colorbearer came into the race with a nose victory July 20 over this course against optional claiming company. She'd tried graded company for the first time two...

In a surprising turn of events where none of the betting favorites finished better than seventh, Public Assembly (More Than Ready) gathered the rest and led home a pair of double-digit choices to score her first black-type in the GIII Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita. Coming into the race off a victory last out Mar. 30 against local optional claimers in her first jump for her new connections, the chestnut was bet down to 8-1 odds as 'TDN Rising Star' Raw Ability (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) commanded the lion's share...

GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up MGISP Vodka With a Twist (Thousand Words) is reportedly on track to make her 2025 debut in the GII Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks after a good drill Monday morning at Santa Anita. Most recently clocked in a five furlong move in :59.80 (4/71), the multiple Grade I-placed filly has been on the sidelines since running third behind GISW Tenma (Nyquist) and SW & GSP Look Forward (Bolt d'Oro) in the GII Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos Dec. 7. "I was very happy with the...

Trainer Philip D'Amato sent out a quintet Saturday morning at Santa Anita Park, with three confirmed as pre-entries for the Breeders' Cup after their works, on a busy morning for World Championship hopefuls across the country. From his three confirmed, GSW Iron Man Cal (Collected) worked four furlongs in :49 flat, and will be pre-entered for the Juvenile Turf. GSW Thought Process (Collected) also went four panels in :49.80 and will target the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Argentinian Group 1-winner Che Evasora (Arg) (Greenspring) worked six furlongs in 1:15.80, and owns...

Thought Process (Collected) held her ground in the stretch of the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes to secure her first career black-type. Third on debut July 27 when sprinting on the main track, the chestnut found grass to her liking less than a month later, breaking her maiden Aug. 17 when stretched out to a mile and flopped to the turf for the first time. On the back of that performance, which garnered her a Beyer of 82, the betting public crowned her the 2-5 favorite and she did...

Just a quarter hour after Idea Generation (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) lulled the GII Flower Bowl Stakes field to sleep at Saratoga, Dicey Mo Chara (GB) (Adaay {Ire}) tried the same tactics on the other coast in the GII Del Mar Handicap, but didn't have the same head of steam afforded the Saratoga winner and found a late dogfight instead. Favored Gold Phoenix (Ire) (g, 6, Belardo {Ire}--Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast) "loves to fight," according to rider Kyle Frey, and kicked it into high gear late to run down the pacesetter,...

Fasig-Tipton Digital's Midsummer Flash Sale concluded Thursday afternoon with the two offerings both sold for a combined gross of $830,000. The first offering, Hip 1, MGSW & GISP Emmanuel (More Than Ready), sold for $500,000 to trainer Michael Maker. Consigned by WinStar Farm LLC, agent as a racing or stallion prospect, Emmanuel had captured five graded races on the grass, including the 2024 GIII Canadian Turf Stakes at Gulfstream in March, and was most recently fourth in the July 20 GII United Nations Stakes at Monmouth. Currently stabled at Saratoga,...

Bolt D'Vine (Bolt d'Oro--Perfectly Divine, by Vindication) was one of two runners in the field with no prior experience, but you'd never know it judging by her performance here. Cruising home as easily as she pleased, the filly carrying Michael House's colors sailed over the wire and earned the 'Rising Star' nod in the process. Off at 3-1 and vying from off the rail up the backstretch through :22.36 and :45.53 fractions, it looked briefly like her early rival might make a race of it, but when Bolt d'Vine took...

The only member of the field for Saturday's GIII Dinner Party S. with proper soft-ground form, Balnikhov (Ire) (Adaay {Ire}) was given a letter-perfect ride by Frankie Dettori and kicked home smartly to score for the third time at the graded stakes level, snapping an eight-race skid in the process. Allowed to find his own rhythm, Balnikhov anchored himself at the back of the nine-strong field, as longshot Helms Deep (Verrazano) showed the way passing the stands for the first time. Favored Running Bee (English Channel), the rail-skimming Highland Chief...

Adare Manor (f, 4, Uncle Mo--Brooklynsway, by Giant Gizmo), a big, rangy daughter of her Breeders' Cup-winning sire, made it four in a row and a first Grade I with a facile win in the $400,000 GI Clement L. Hirsch S. at Del Mar Saturday. The filly will likely attempt to win a Breeders' Cup of her own as the "Win and You're In" Hirsch offers a fees-paid berth to the GI Distaff, which will be held at Santa Anita in November. When the field broke in the Hirsch, it...