Gold Phoenix Rises To Challenge In Kilroe Mile

Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) jumped out of the ground with an eighth of a mile to run in Saturday's GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile S. at Santa Anita and outsprinted the fast-finishing Du Jour (Temple City) for a maiden success at the top level.

Beaten for speed, the chestnut settled in the second half of the field as Air Force Red (Air Force Blue) cut out a modest pace of :47.06 for the opening half-mile while pursued by Masteroffoxhounds (War Front). The Kilroe field was tightly bunched as they approached the entrance to the second turn, with the two pacesetters continuing to dictate as even-money Hong Kong Harry (Ire) (Es Que Love {GB}) slid up three wide to loom a danger. Remaining glued to the fence and quietly ridden into the final three-eighths of a mile by Kazushi Kimura, Gold Phoenix traveled strongly into the lane, exploded through a hole four off the inside at the furlong grounds and found the wire a neck to the good of Du Jour, who also displayed a sharp turn of foot to just miss. Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) was along late for third ahead of the race favorite, who made an awkward move outside the eighth pole and never fully recovered.

An allowance winner over course and distance last April, Gold Phoenix was campaigned at nine furlongs and beyond for the balance of the season, highlighted by a head victory over Master Piece (Chi) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in last year's GII Del Mar H.  going a mile and three-eighths Sept. 3. Beaten a neck into third as the 13-10 chalk in the GII John Henry Turf Championship at 10 panels Oct. 1, Gold Phoenix was last seen finishing a wide-trip 10th in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Keeneland Nov. 5.

Pedigree Notes:

Gold Phoenix is the first top-level scorer for his sire, a son of Lope de Vega (Ire) who began his career at Darley's Kildangan Stud in Ireland and now shuttles between Bearstone Stud in the United Kingdom and Haunui Farm in New Zealand.

The winner's dam, a full-sister to Hong Kong Group 1 winner Sea Defence (Giant Treasure–HK) and to MGSW Jibboom–the dam of Irish Group 3 winner Flying Jib (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB})– was purchased by Jim Ryan for $70,000 in foal to Bellamy Road at the 2014 Keeneland November Sale. Magnifica is the dam of a yearling full-brother to Gold Phoenix.

Saturday, Santa Anita
FRANK E. KILROE MILE S.-GI, $501,500, Santa Anita, 3-4, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.45, gd.
1–GOLD PHOENIX (IRE), 122, g, 5, by Belardo (Ire)
                1st Dam: Magnifica, by Mizzen Mast
                2nd Dam: Palisade, by Gone West
                3rd Dam: Peplum, by Nijinsky II
1ST GRADE I WIN. (€24,000 RNA Ylg '19 GOFSPT). O-Little Red
Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, LLC and Marsha Naify;
B-Mighty Universe Ltd (Ire); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Kazushi
Kimura. $300,000. Lifetime Record: 11-4-3-3, $675,257.
Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Du Jour, 120, g, 5, Temple City–Guiltless, by Bernardini.
($19,000 Ylg '19 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '20 OBSAPR). O-Natalie
Baffert and Debbie Lanni; B-Woods Edge Farm, LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert. $100,000.
3–Cabo Spirit, 122, g, 4, Pioneerof the Nile–Fancy Day (Ire),
by Shamardal. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20
KEESEP; $575,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Kretz Racing LLC;
B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-George Papaprodromou. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 10.80, 10.20, 37.30.
Also Ran: Hong Kong Harry (Ire), Air Force Red, Masteroffoxhounds, Balnikhov (Ire), Royal Ship (Brz). Scratched: Irideo (Arg).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.