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TOP TRAINER D’AMATO KEEPS ON ROLLING ALONG
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AT 15 HANDS, 900 POUNDS, HONG KONG HARRY LOOKING LARGE
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ATHLETICISM ON DISPLAY FROM MR. ‘JUAN’-DERFUL
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FLIGHTLINE HAS A ‘ROUTINE’ BREEZE FOR MET MILE
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BIG ‘CAP WINNER EXPRESS TRAIN IN BULLET WORK
D’AMATO HAS GOING GLOBAL SET FOR GAMELY
Phil D’Amato, neck and neck with Doug O’Neill for his second straight Santa Anita training title, has win machine Going Global ticketed for the Grade I Gamely Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf Memorial Day, Monday, May 30.
A member of D’Amato’s potent “Irish Army,” the four-year-old daughter of the Acclimation sire Mehmas has eight victories from 13 career starts, including the Grade II Royal Heroine last out on April 9. She has earned $769,292.
The Gamely is one of three Grade I Stakes on Memorial Day, the others being the $400,000 Hollywood Gold Cup for three-year-olds and up at 1 ¼ miles and the $500,000 Shoemaker Mile on turf, a Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Challenge Race for three-year-olds and up.
Meanwhile, turf marathon specialist Acclimate, winner of the Grade III, mile and one-half San Luis Rey Stakes March 12, will stretch out to a mile and three-quarters on the downhill turf course in the Grade III San Juan Capistrano Stakes closing day, June 19, a race that he won in both 2019 and in 2021.
DIMINUTIVE IRISH-BRED HONG KONG HARRY LOOKING LIKE LONG THREAT
In addition to his long-fused Acclimate, Phil D’Amato might have another shooter eyeing the Grade III San Juan Capistrano at a mile and three quarters on turf closing day, as his diminutive Irish-bred Hong Kong Harry, who powered to a 1 ½ length victory under Ramon Vazquez in Saturday’s eighth race, is beginning to look like a horse who’s ready for graded stakes competition at longer distances.
A 5-year-old gelding who stands about 15 hands high and checks in at 900 pounds, Hong Kong Harry is now unbeaten in two stateside starts, both allowance races at a mile and one eighth turf.
“I gotta give my blacksmith, Wes Champagne, a lotta credit for getting his feet right and once we did that, everything else has come around,” said D’Amato yesterday. “He’s probably half the size of my other horse (second place finisher Cash Equity), but he’s just got a big heart and it doesn’t look like distance is a problem for him. I think he could probably go another furlong or two.”
So, while that doesn’t equate to Hong Kong Harry being a certainty for the June 19 San Juan, it would appear that D’Amato, who has won the last three runnings of Santa Anita’s signature turf marathon, has yet another prospect who could relish the assignment.
Owned by Scott Anastasi, Jimmy Ukegawa and former Arcadia High School cager Tony Valazza, Hong Kong Harry now has six wins from nine overall starts.
Mike Willman
HERNANDEZ SHOWS STRENGTH AND SKILL IN TRULY AMAZING WIN
If Juan Hernandez captures Santa Anita’s jockey crown by one victory, he can point to Saturday’s seventh race as the difference maker.
The 29-year-old native of Veracruz, Mexico, had all he could do to stay in the saddle after his mount, Fly the Sky, stumbled badly breaking from the rail at the start of the 1 1/8-mile turf event, let alone winning by a neck in a breathtaking display of athleticism and horsemanship.
As the Equibase chart reads:
“Fly the Sky stumbled badly leaving the gate and almost unseated the rider, Hernandez recovered impressively and was able to regain his irons shortly after, settled inside, tipped out to the two path on the far turn, split foes in upper stretch, steered out in the final furlong, surged late outside the top pair and nailed Niles Channel in the closing moments.”
Words don’t do it justice. You have to see it to believe it.
“Juan was just about over the horse’s head, but the horse got up quickly and kind of pulled him back onto him,” said Steve Knapp, trainer of Fly the Sky.
“When the horse took off, Juan had his left foot in the left stirrup but his right foot was all the way on the other side of the horse, and when he was about to fall over, his right leg was all the way on the left side of the horse, so he had both legs on the left side of the horse.
“He was very strong to pull himself up and get his foot back into the right stirrup. It was incredible. He said when the horse got up, he just took off and put himself into the race.”
The win was the 62nd for Hernandez this meet, leaving him 10 behind departed leader Flavien Prat, currently riding regularly at Keeneland.
FLIGHTLINE IN ‘ROUTINE’ DRILL FOR MET MILE
Undefeated Grade I Runhappy Malibu Stakes winner Flightline, who missed a scheduled start in the Grade II San Carlos Stakes March 5 due to a strained right hock, had his second workout on the comeback trail Sunday in preparation for the Grade I Metropolitan Mile at Belmont Park on June 11.
Trainer John Sadler had former jockey and current assistant trainer Juan Leyva aboard for the four-furlong drill, saying it was “routine and he went nice.”
Flightline was given a time of 47.20 by Santa Anita clockers. The $1 million son of Tapit had his first breeze upon his return last Sunday, going three furlongs in 37 seconds flat.
The $1.2 million Metropolitan Handicap, or Met Mile, is a one-turn event that will have its 129th running on June 11.
“The horse is doing well, but it’ s a process to get him back to where he was,” Sadler said after his first breeze back.
“Step one was last Sunday, step two was this Sunday, so we’re moving forward.”
SILVER CHARM FARES WELL IN RETIREMENT AT 28
Paraphrasing General Douglas MacArthur, “Old horses never die; they just fade away.”
Such is the case with Silver Charm, who finished second to Free House in the 1997 Santa Anita Derby before going on to capture the Kentucky Derby for trainer Bob Baffert.
Twenty-five years later, on Feb. 22, Silver Charm, now white with age, celebrated his 28th birthday at Old Friends, “a non-profit organization dedicated to providing safe harbor and dignified retirement to Thoroughbreds whose racing and breeding careers have come to an end.”
Located in Georgetown, Ky., the organization’s President is Michael Blowen, while Jill Baffert, wife of the Hall of Fame trainer, is a Board member.
Silver Charm was owned throughout his racing career by Bob and Beverly Lewis.
FINISH LINES: Express Train, streaking winner of the Grade I Santa Anita Handicap presented by Yaamava’ Resort & Casino on March 5, worked five furlongs this morning in a bullet 58.40. The five-year-old son of Union Rags is being considered for the Grade II Californian Stakes on April 30 by trainer John Shirreffs. There were 184 recorded workouts Sunday, 50 on the training track . . . Santa Anita will take a respite this Monday through Friday, April 29, and resume live racing highlighted by four graded stakes at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 30.
