American Stakes 2024 | Santa Anita Park

Gold Phoenix, last seen running fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf here Nov. 4, makes his 6-year-old debut in Thursday’s GIII, $100,000 American Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita Park.

First post time for a nine-race card that will include two stakes is 1:00 p.m. Admission gates will open at 11:00 a.m. Parking and admission is free.

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Trained by Phil D’Amato, Gold Phoenix tallied three graded stakes wins last year prior to outrunning his odds in the 1 ½-mile Breeders’ Cup Turf. Dispatched at 51-1 in the Breeders’ Cup, Gold Phoenix rallied from second-last under Juan Hernandez to be beaten just 2 ½ lengths by international star Auguste Rodin.

Prior to the Breeders’ Cup, Gold Phoenix won the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March at Santa Anita and both the GII Eddie Read at 1 1/8 miles and GII Del Mar Handicap going 1 3/8 miles during the Del Mar summer meet.

A gelding by Belardo, Gold Phoenix was bred in Ireland where he made one start prior to coming to the U.S. for the 2022 season. He is 6-3-3 in 17 starts with $1,221,757 in earnings. Campaigned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables and Marsha Naify, Hernandez will again be aboard Gold Phoenix.

Joining Gold Phoenix in the lineup for D’Amato is two-time graded stakes winner Prince Abama. Like his stablemate, Prince Abama is also a 6-year-old gelding bred in Ireland. The son of Tamayuz returned from a 13-month layoff here March 3 and finished seventh in the Kilroe Mile.

Prior the lengthy layoff, Prince Abama in 2022 won both the GII Hollywood Turf Cup going 1 ½ miles at Del Mar and the GIII San Marcos at 1 ¼ miles at Santa Anita.

Owned by Michael House, Prince Abama is 4-4-1 in 13 starts with $460,053 in earnings. He will be ridden for the first time by Antonio Fresu.

Multiple stakes winner Johannes returns from a 10-month layoff for trainer Tim Yakteen. As a 3-year-old last year, the Nyquist colt won both the Baffle Stakes on the hillside turf course and one-mile Pasadena Stakes during the Santa Anita Classic Meet. Emboldened by those victories, Johannes was shipped to Churchill Downs for a try in the GII American Turf at 1 1/16 miles on the Kentucky Derby undercard. He finished fifth, beaten two lengths in what would be his final start of the year.

Umberto Rispoli was aboard Johannes in all three starts last year and again has the call Thursday. A homebred for Cuyathy LLC, Johannes has a record of 3-0-1 in seven starts with $183,859 in earnings.

The up-and-comer in the group is Genius Jimmy, who was not nominated and had to be supplemented to make his stakes debut. Trained by Michael McCarthy, the 4-year-old Jimmy Creed colt returned from a year layoff and rolled to a front-running allowance victory going a mile on turf here March 3. The winning time of 1:34.95 earned speed figures that are competitive with this group.

Genius Jimmy will be ridden by Kazushi Kimura. He has a record of 2-0-0 in six starts with $86,840 in earnings for owners Pappas Horse Racing, Joseph Jaconi, Shane O’Neill and William Strauss.

Fuerteventura is a multiple stakes winner but never at the graded level. Trained by Jonathan Thomas, the 5-year-old gelding by Summer Front will be making his first start in California. His two career stakes wins came in last year’s Brooks Fields Mile Stakes at Canterbury Park and the 2022 Jersey Derby on turf at Monmouth Park.

Fuerteventura exits a win in the March 14 Cotton Fitzsimmons Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Turf Paradise. He will be ridden by Kyle Frey for the first time.

Fuerteventura is 6-3-0 in 16 starts with $354,194 in earnings. He is owned by The Estate of Brereton C. Jones, who bred the gelding, and Robert V. Lapenta.