Santa Anita Park Picks | Desert Code Stakes 2024

Since arriving from Ireland last fall, King of Gosford is a perfect 2-for-2 with a stakes win for trainer Phil D’Amato. On Sunday, he’ll look to continue his winning ways in the $100,000 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-olds at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita Park.

First post Sunday is at 1 p.m. Admission gates open at 11 a.m.

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King of Gosford won a six-furlong turf allowance in his domestic bow March 10 at Santa Anita. Moved to the hillside turf course for the about 6 ½-furlongs John Shear Stakes April 7, King of Gosford dueled on the lead under Antonio Fresu before kicking clear late to score by a length.

A colt by Zoustar, King of Gosford was bred in England. He won one of five starts in Ireland before shipping to the U.S. King of Gosford is owned by Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig and Jeremy Peskoff. He will again have Fresu aboard.

D’Amato also entered Sorrento Sky, an Ireland-bred who is also making his third U.S. start. Sorrento Sky broke his maiden April 4 at Santa Anita when going 6 ½ furlongs on the flat turf course at Santa Anita. By Prince of Lir, he returned in a first-level allowance at six furlongs on turf May 4 and finished third.

Sorrento Sky will be ridden for the first time by Joe Talamo, who has relocated to Santa Anita full-time from Kentucky. Talamo spent more than a decade riding at Santa Anita before shifting his tack to the Midwest in 2020.

Set to make his stakes debut for trainer Tim Yakteen is All That Glory, who has been an improved colt since switching to turf. On May 5, he earned his diploma in front-running fashion when going six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita. The effort earned a field-high 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

By Goldencents, All That Glory was a $250,000 auction purchase last year by owners Leslie A. Amestoy, Jean Pierre Amestoy Jr. and Roger K. Beasley. Umberto Rispoli is set to ride All That Glory for the first time.

Wynstock will make his first start on turf for trainer Bob Baffert. Winner of the GII Los Alamitos Futurity in December, Wynstock made little impact in two subsequent graded tries on dirt. The Solomini colt finished last of 11 in the GIII Southwest at Oaklawn Park Feb. 3 then checked in sixth in the GI Santa Anita Derby April 6.

A $700,000 auction buy, Wynstock is 6: 2-0-0 with $183,240 in earnings for owner Ed Allred and Jack Liebau. Kyle Frey, who rode Wynstock in the Los Alamitos Futurity and Southwest, returns to the saddle.

Guy Named Joe cuts back in distance and gets class relief for trainer Doug O’Neill. The American Pharoah colt most recently shipped to Keeneland and finished off the board in the GIII Transylvania Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on turf. Prior to that effort on March 16, Guy Named Joe was beaten just a head by well-regarded Stay Hot in the one-mile Pasadena Stakes on turf at Santa Anita.

Guy Named Joe is 8: 1-3-2 with $109,360 in earnings for owners My Way Racing LLC, West Coast Stables LLC, Barbara Evenson, John O’Keefe and Timothy F. O’Keefe. He will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who was previously aboard in the Pasadena.

THE DESERT CODE AT SANTA ANITA PARK, WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER 

Race 5 of 9 | Approximate post time 3 p.m. PT

1. Guy Named Joe—Juan Hernandez—120
2. King of Gosford—Antonio Fresu—124
3. Sorrento Sky—Joe Talamo—120
4. Rastaman Vibe—Geovanni Franco—120
5. All That Glory—Umberto Rispoli—120
6. Wynstock—Kyle Frey—124