Phil D'Amato | Horse Racing Free Tips

Count Again Will Try To Maintain Momentum In San Gabriel

Canadian-bred Count Again, fresh off the biggest win of his career in what was his first start for Phil D'Amato, will try to employ similar tactics under Juan Hernandez as he heads a field of seven older horses going a mile and one eighth on turf in Saturday's Grade 2, $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes at Santa Anita.

A 6-year-old gelding by Awesome Again, Count Again is one of five horses exiting the G2 Seabiscuit Stakes, which was run at a mile and one sixteenth over the Del Mar turf on Nov. 28. Previously headquartered in Toronto at Woodbine Racecourse, Count Again took a G3 turf stakes there three starts back at a mile and one quarter and should relish the added sixteenth of mile on Saturday. With four wins from eight starts, Count Again earned a career best 100 Beyer Speed figure in the Seabiscuit.

Peter Miller's Anothertwistafate, fourth as the 2-1 favorite with Joel Rosario in the Seabiscuit, will try to turn the tables on Count Again in what will be his second turf try. A lightly raced 5-year-old colt by Scat Daddy, he won the G3 Longacres Mile in his first start of 2020 on Sept 10. With Rosario riding him back in the San Gabriel, he'll be seeking his fifth win from 10 career starts.

Richard Baltas will be represented by a pair of horses coming off solid third place finishes, Bob and Jackie, who was third going a mile on turf in the G3 City of Hope Mile here Oct. 3, and the venerable Next Shares, who rallied to be third in the Seabiscuit at odds of 20-1.

Off the board in just two of eight starts, Bob and Jackie sat a close second early in the City of Hope and finished third, beaten three lengths while earning a career best 100 Beyer with Heriberto Figueroa, who has guided him to four wins from eight overall starts. A three-time minor stakes winner, this 5-year-old horse by Twirling Candy will seek his first graded win on Saturday.

Next Shares, an 8-year-old gelding by Archarcharch, rallied to be beaten 1 ½ lengths by Count Again in the Seabiscuit and must be respected as a late threat. A winner of the 2019 San Gabriel, Next Shares is the leading money earner in the field with $1,833,071 from an overall mark of 36-7-5-4.

THE GRADE II SAN GABRIEL WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 7 of 9 Approximate post time 3:30 p.m.

Cleopatra's Strike—Kent Desormeaux—120
Next Shares—Jose Valdivia, Jr.—120
Bob and Jackie—Heriberto Figueroa—120
Multiplier—Abel Cedillo—120
Count Again—Juan Hernandez—124
Anothertwistafate—Joel Rosario—122
Bowies Hero—Flavien Prat—120

First post time for a nine-race card on Saturday is at 12:30 p.m. All of Santa Anita's races are offered free of charge at santaanita.com/live and fans can watch and wager at 1st.com/Bet.

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Irish-Bred Cathkin Peak Wears Down Commander Khai To Win Eddie Logan At Santa Anita

Taken well off the early pace while next to last into the clubhouse turn, trainer Phil D'Amato's Irish-bred Cathkin Peak edged closer to the leaders heading to the far turn and with four lengths to make up turning for home, kept to his task and overhauled pacesetter Commander Khai to register a one-length victory in Sunday's $75,000 Eddie Logan Stakes at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Flavien Prat, Cathkin Peak got a flat mile on turf in 1:33.80.

As expected, Commander Khai went to the early lead and he was tracked in second by morning line favorite Beer Can Man, who flattened out a bit late while Commander Khai kept to his task but couldn't hold off the winner, who although he lugged in some late, kept grinding to gain the advantage.

A one mile turf maiden winner in his U.S. debut Nov. 29 at Del Mar, Cathkin Peak was off at 4-1 in a field of seven juveniles and paid $10.40, $5.00 and $3.40.

“He's such a neat horse,” said D'Amato. “Every since he arrived, he hasn't done anything wrong and he keeps getting better and better. Flavien seems to fit him like a glove.”

Owned by Sterling Stables, LLC, Michael Nentwig and CYBT, Cathkin Peak, who started once in his native Ireland, is now two for three and with the winner's share of $46,680, increased his earnings to $81,672.

Trained by Richard Baltas, Commander Khai was off at 7-2 and paid $5.40 and $3.60 with John Velazquez up while prevailing by 2 ¾ lengths over Beer Can Man.

Ridden by Juan Hernandez, Beer Can Man was also off at 7-2 and paid $3.00 to show.

Fractions on the race were 22.59, 45.74, 1:09.51 and 1:21.55.

The race was marred by an incident at the top of the stretch when Ebeko suffered a catastrophic injury and fell, throwing jockey Joel Rosario. Ebeko, winner of the Zuma Beach Stakes at Santa Anita in October, was vanned off and subsequently euthanized because of the nature of the injury. Rosario was evaluated by medical personnel and cleared to ride the remainder of the card.

Named in honor of Santa Anita's beloved “Footman,” the Eddie Logan honors the memory of the man who manned his shoeshine stand at Santa Anita from the track's opening on Dec. 25, 1934, until shortly before his passing at age 98 in January 2009.

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Count Again Wallops Seabiscuit Handicap Rivals With Strong Stretch Punch

Agave Racing Stable or Sam-Son Farm's Count Again trailed early, but came roaring through the lane to take down honors in the $203,500 Seabiscuit Handicap Saturday at Del Mar. He ran the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:40.84 to establish a stakes record.

Juan Hernandez gave the 5-year-old Awesome Again gelding a well-timed ride that saw him get home by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 feature for 3-year-olds and up. Phil D'Amato trains the bay who was making his California debut after racing in Canada for trainer Gail Cox earlier this year.

“He'd been running longer races (10 and 12 furlongs) and when he broke a little slow today I didn't rush him,” said Hernandez. “We were in a good spot on the backside and I could feel I had plenty of horse. When we hit the three-eighths (pole) I wheeled him outside and we started to pick them up. He ran hard through the stretch and we got it done.”

Finishing second in the Seabiscuit was Juddmonte Farms' favored Flavius and running third was Iavarone, McClanahan or Peskoff, et al's Next Shares.

Count Again returned $18.80, $8.40 and $5.80 across the board. Flavius paid $4.20 and $3.40, while longshot Next Shares returned $10.00 to show.

Co-owner Sam-Son Farm's of Ontario, Canada, is also the breeder of the winner.

“Gail Cox delivered this horse to me in excellent condition and I was really glad to have him,” said D'Amato. “She got him going really good and his confidence up as well and I just kind of trained on from that. I'm just fortunate to have him. Juan (jockey Hernandez) followed our plan. I just told him to save all the ground and come with one run. If the race sets up for us, great, if not we'll stretch him out next time. He followed those instructions to a 'T' and he came with a monstrous run. ”

The stakes win was the first of the meet for trainer D'Amato, but his third in the Seabiscuit. He now has 29 stakes wins at Del Mar.

Count Again registered his fourth win in his eighth career start and pick up $120,000 as the winner's share of the purse. He now has career earnings of $271,165.

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From The Horse’s Mouth: D’Amato Assesses His Hollywood Turf Cup Quartet

Phil D'Amato is ready to tee it up with a foursome and take a big swing hoping to find the 'Cup.

But, rather than golf, the Thoroughbred trainer is sticking to his primary game and saddling four horses for Friday's featured $200,000, Grade 2 Hollywood Turf Cup. D'Amato's quartet for the 1 ½-mile grass marathon, all with different ownership going as separate betting interests, is comprised of Red King, Say the Word, Gregorian Chant and Acclimate.

“They're all running,” D'Amato confirmed this morning. “They're all kind of uniquely different horses and have different running styles and they've all trained well for the race.”

A capsule look alphabetically, with D'Amato's comments.

Acclimate. A son of Acclamation and an Old English Rancho homebred, the 6-year-old gelding will be making his first start in over a year but last season here won the Grade 2, 1 3/8 mile Del Mar Handicap. “He had a bunch of little things to take care of and then it (comeback) got complicated by the COVID situation and the fires near Santa Anita,” D'Amato said. “One setback after another; but his last few works have indicated to me that he's back close to being his old self.”

Gregorian Chant. The 4-year-old English-bred hit the board in his last three starts for owners Slam Dunk and Old Bones Racing and comes in off a third-place finish in the Lure Stakes at Santa Anita that produced a career-best Beyer Speed Figure. “He was gelded (in May) and he's improved every race since,” D'Amato said. “We want to stretch him out (first time beyond 1 1/8 miles) and see what he can do.”

Red King. A victory this past summer in the Del Mar Handicap provided entrée to the $4 million Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland. But things didn't work out when he finished ninth of 10. “He needs some pace to run at and there was zero pace in the race,” D'Amato said. “We were stuck wide on a slow pace and couldn't kick with those other really good horses. He's back here now, happy and healthy and hopefully we'll get the kind of effort we did last summer.”

Say the Word. The 5-year-old gelded son of More Than Ready, owned in partnership and bred by Sam-Son Farm, is a newcomer to D'Amato's stable and comes in off a victory in the Grade 1 Northern Dancer at Woodbine. “He's worked twice here and looked very good,” D'Amato said. “We're looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

The field from the rail with jockeys and morning line odds in parenthesis: North County Guy (Mario Gutierrez, 15-1); Oscar Dominguez (Irad Ortiz, Jr., 15-1); Red King (Umberto Rispoli, 5-1); Say the Word (Flavien Prat, 5-1); Arklow (Joel Rosario, 5-2); Gregorian Chant (Ricardo Gonzalez, 20-1); Acclimate (Tyler Baze, 12-1); Laccario (Manuel Franco, 3-1); Ward 'n Jerry (Jose Valdivia, Jr., 20-1); Proud Pedro (Juan Hernandez, 20-1); Marckie's Water (Tiago Pereira 30-1), and Another Mystery (Mike Smith, 10-1). Listed as also eligible are Tartini (Tyler Baze 30-1) and Fivestar Lynch (Abel Cedillo, 30-1).

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