Phil D'Amato | Horse Racing Free Tips

D’Amato Finds Home In Turf Sprints For Gregorian Chant

Long regarded as a two-turn horse on grass, trainer Phil D'Amato's 5-year-old Gregorian Chant has found a home sprinting on turf at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as he rallied from last to take Saturday's Grade 3, $100,000 San Simeon Stakes by a neck while getting six furlongs on turf in 1:08.79 under Juan Hernandez—his second consecutive turf stakes win at the distance.

Unhurried early from his number two post position, Gregorian Chant was into the bridle, about four lengths off the lead while a joint fifth heading to the far turn as heavily favored Jolie Olimpica showed the way. Moving easily around the turn, Hernandez wheeled four-deep turning for home and in a thriller, outran Sombeyay and Flavien Prat late.

“He broke slow and I just let him get comfortable (on the backstretch) and then when we went into the stretch, Phil told me to get him rolling and that's what I did,” said Hernandez, who also orchestrated a 2 ¼-length win in the ungraded Clockers' Corner Stakes on Jan. 24. “It's exciting fighting with another horse, going head and head, you feel excited and you feel strong. You just want to win the race.”

Off at 7-2 in a field of six older horses, Gregorian Chant, who was bred in England, paid $9.80, $4.20 and $2.20.

“It took us awhile to figure out what he wanted to do,” said D'Amato. “This horse has found his home sprinting, no question. There's so much difference in him now, compared to him at three and four (years old). He' matured a lot and we will definitely keep him short.”

Ridden by Flavien Prat and trained by Peter Miller, Sombeyay was attentive to the pace, made the lead turning for home and couldn't hold the winner off while finishing 2 ½ lengths in front of Jolie Olimpica. Off at 4-1, Sombeyay paid $4.80 and $2.60.

Richard Mandella's Brazilian-bred mare Jolie Olimpica, who went to the front out of the gate under Mike Smith and was head and head into and around the turn, couldn't run with the top two late and paid $2.10 to show while off at even money.

Fractions on the race were 22.72, 45.52 and 57.32.

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Sharp Maiden Winner Rock Your World Tests Stakes Company In Pasadena

Fresh off a big first-out maiden score sprinting, John Sadler's Rock Your World stretches out and rates top billing among six sophomores going one mile on turf in Saturday's $100,000 Pasadena Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif.

Proven at the distance, Phil D'Amato's rapidly improving Irish-bred Cathkin Peak, a winner of the one mile turf Eddie Logan Stakes Dec. 27, and John Shirreffs' Red Flag, a disappointing fourth in the Grade 2 Los Alamitos Futurity Dec. 19, both rate huge chances and figure to be well backed in a short but very competitive field.

A $650,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, Rock Your World exploded off the turn for home in his maiden victory and went on to win in-hand under turf ace Umberto Rispoli, who's back aboard in the Pasadena. Owned by Hronis Racing, LLC and David Michael Talla, Rock Your World, a Kentucky-bred colt by Candy Ride, out of Charm the Maker, by Empire Maker, was bred by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife Deborah.

Off as the 2-1 favorite in a field of 12 on Jan. 1, Rock Your World won in eye catching fashion and appears to be a colt with any kind of future.

A respectable fourth in his five furlong turf debut over soft ground in his native Ireland on Aug. 29, Cathkin Peak was purchased privately and made his U.S. debut for D'Amato at Del Mar on Nov. 29, rallying to take a one mile turf maiden special weight by three quarters of a length versus 11 horses. Subsequently off at 4-1 in the seven-horse Eddie Logan, he hesitated a bit at the break but was handled confidently by Flavien Prat as he rallied for a one length victory.

With leading man Prat back aboard for the third consecutive time, Cathkin Peak will be well supported as he bids for his third consecutive win at a mile on grass.

The biggest question mark in Saturday's Pasadena would appear to be the John Shirreffs-trained Red Flag. Well beaten first time out on dirt Sept. 6 at Del Mar, he rallied to break his maiden by a neck going 5 ½ furlongs on turf at Santa Anita Oct. 10. Dismissed at 10-1 in the G3 Bob Hope Stakes at seven furlongs on dirt Nov. 15, he responded with a freakish 7 ¼ length victory.

Subsequently sent off as the 4-5 favorite in the G2 Los Alamitos Futurity at 1 1/16 miles Dec. 19, this colt by the Speightstown stallion Tamarkuz was never a factor while finishing fourth, beaten 8 ½ lengths. Owned by Jerry and Tina Moss, Red Flag, who will be making his fifth career start, will be ridden back by apprentice Ricky Gonzalez.

$100,000 PASADENA STAKES WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS
IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 8 of 9 Approximate post time 4 p.m. PT

Mac Daddy Too—Abel Cedillo—124
Cathkin Peak—Flavien Prat—124
Red Flag—Ricardo Gonzalez—120
Commander Khai—Juan Hernandez—120
Rock Your World—Umberto Rispoli—120
Harlan Estate—Ruben Fuentes—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. For additional information, please visit santaanita.com.

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Charmaine’s Mia Takes Buena Vista On The Stretch-Out For D’Amato

Relegated to sprinting in her last 21 starts, trainer Phil D'Amato's Charmaine's Mia handled a stretch-out to one mile on turf with aplomb on Saturday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif., as she pressed the early pace en route to a one-length score in the Grade 2, $200,000 Buena Vista Stakes. Ridden for the first time by Flavien Prat, she got the distance in 1:33.93.

With longshot Bohemian Bourbon fully committed to a front-running trip, Charmaine's Mia, who was an impressive 2 ½-length winner of the G3 Las Cienegas Stakes at six furlongs on turf Jan. 9, sat a close second to the quarter pole, where she took command and then held multiple graded stakes winning Mucho Unusual safe in the final sixteenth of a mile.

“She broke sharp,” said Prat, who collected his third win on the afternoon. “She's really fast out of the gate and I wanted to be on the lead, but the inside horse (Bohemian Bourbon) was pulling very hard, so we were second, which was as good place to be. When we made the lead at the quarter pole, she got a good breather and from there, she finished really well.”

Formerly based in Toronto at Woodbine, Charmaine's Mia was off at 16-1 in the Las Cienegas, which was her Southern California debut and first start for D'Amato. Heavily backed today at 6-5 in a field of nine older fillies and mares, she paid $4.60, $3.00 and $2.40.

“It's huge, Flavien said there's more in the tank,” said D'Amato. “She rated nice. If she needed to go a little further, it wasn't a problem. So that definitely broadens her horizons and maybe has us starting to look at Grade I's.”

Owned by Agave Racing Stable and Rockin Robin Racing Stables, Charmaine's Mia, a 5-year-old Kentucky-bred mare by The Factor out of the Bernstein mare Charming Vixen, notched her second graded stakes victory and improved her overall mark to 27-6-4-2. With the winner's take of $120,000, she increased her earnings to $352,976.

Trainer Tim Yakteen's Mucho Unusual, who was mid-pack early, put in a solid late run but ran out of real estate while finishing three quarters of a length in front of Warren's Showtime. A winner of two consecutive graded stakes at the current meeting, she was the second choice at 7-2 and paid $4.20 and $3.00 with Abel Cedillo up.

Consistent Warren's Showtime, who had three horses beat heading into the far turn, put in a solid late bid as well, but was third best on the day under Juan Hernandez. Off at 5-1, she paid $3.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.65, 45.93, 1:09.75 and 1:21.75.

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From Dundalk to California

Going Global (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) made an impressive U.S. debut for trainer Phil D'Amato by taking Sunday's GIII Sweet Life S. at Santa Anita. Formerly trained by Mick Halford in Ireland, the 3-year-old filly was purchased privately this winter in a deal structured by BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe and Niall Dalton. Gary King caught up with Donohoe on Monday morning to chat about the win.

GK: What attracted you to Going Global?

MD: Her first run at Limerick really caught my eye and Niall's [Dalton]. We liked her action and when she won her maiden at Dundalk we liked the way she quickened to the line. It was a bit of a gamble buying her off a Dundalk handicap win but it paid off. It just goes to show how strong Irish race form is.

GK: Did she strike you as a California kind of horse?

MD: For sure. When I saw her in the flesh she looked the part, well made with a great hip like a lot of the Mehmas progeny. The Mehmases all seem to progress with racing which is a great trait and are sound horses. For racing in California soundness is so important.

GK: How have you found the horses-in-training market during the last few months?

MD: To be honest, it's been pretty good. Myself and Niall working together have had a lot of success these last few months and always have people looking for Irish horses.

GK: Mehmas obviously had a terrific year with his first juveniles. Do you expect them to progress as 3-year-olds?

MD: Absolutely. Even though they have proven to be precocious they are also seriously progressive. They seem to have that will to win and are very sound. He really could be a very important stallion in years to come and is in a very good hotel in Tally Ho. So popular he has become I have only been able to secure one nomination for my clients.

GK: Before I let you go, have you identified any under the radar stallions in Europe for the upcoming breeding season?

MD: I have been hearing and seeing very good reports from Churchill (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (€30,000 at Coolmore)'s first crop of 2-year-olds. Also, I think Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) (€15,000 at Haras de Bouquetot) will have a better 3-year-old crop after a promising start with his first runners last season.

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