Daily Racing Form National Digital Edition
D’Amato’s 3-year-old fillies impress in weekend stakes
ARCADIA, Calif. – Three stakes for 3-year-old fillies three time zones apart from Friday through Sunday gave trainer Phil D’Amato and his clients high hopes for the late spring and summer.
On Friday, Desert Dawn finished third at 50-1 in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs, a surprise placing for the secondlongest shot in a field of 14 who races for H&E Ranch.
On Saturday, Island of Love won the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes at Santa Anita as the 5-2 fourth choice in a field of six for R Unicorn Stable.
On Sunday, Elm Drive won the minor Angels Flight Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita for the Little Red Feather Racing partnership.
“We’ve run the gamut with different horses in different races,” D’Amato said. “They’ve all been firing.”
On Sunday, D’Amato was plotting race goals for the next month. Island of Love is expected to start in the Grade 2 Honeymoon Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf May 29 at Santa Anita, while Desert Dawn is likely to run in the Grade 1 Acorn Stakes at a mile June 11 at Belmont Park.
Plans are uncertain for Elm Drive, who is likely to remain in sprints.
Desert Dawn won the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9 and was ignored in the betting in the Kentucky Oaks. She closed from sixth in a field of 14 to finish 2 1/2 lengths behind winner Secret Oath.
“The filly had a legitimate chance to do something off the Santa Anita win, and she proved she can run with those horses,” D’Amato said Sunday.
A winner of 2 of 8 starts, Desert Dawn was sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar last November. The $500,000 Acorn Stakes will be a difficult test, as it often draws many of the nation’s leading 3-year-old fillies.
“Something like the Acorn could be up her alley,” D’Amato said.
Island of Love won her first graded stakes in the $100,500 Senorita Stakes at a mile on turf, closing from third to win by 2 1/4 lengths in her third American start. Juan Hernandez rode Island of Love for the first time in the Senorita.
“I talked to Juan, and he thinks added distance will not be a problem,” D’Amato said. “Visually, the way she did everything, it was her best race and it was against fillies that had beaten her.”
Island of Love was second in the Lady of Shamrock Stakes in January and fourth in the China Doll Stakes in March, losing both races to Lucky Girl, who was fifth as the 2-1 favorite in the Senorita.
The $100,000 Honeymoon Stakes would be the longest race of Island of Love’s career, which began with two wins in Italy last year.
Last year, the D’Amato-trained Going Global won her fourth consecutive race in the Honeymoon and later won two stakes before the end of the year.
Going Global won her 2022 debut in the Grade 2 Royal Heroine Stakes at a mile on turf April 9 under jockey Umberto Rispoli. D’Amato said Sunday that Going Global is on schedule to start in the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf on May 30.
Flavien Prat, who rode Going Global in all eight of her starts in 2021, will have the mount. Prat was the leading rider in Southern California in recent years, but departed to ride in Kentucky and New York earlier this spring.
Flightline picks up the pace
Quick workouts have become customary for the undefeated 4-year-old Flightline, who is approaching his 2022 debut in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Mile Handicap on June 11 at Belmont Park.
On Sunday at Santa Anita, Flightline worked five furlongs in 59.20 seconds, much quicker than his clocking of 1:01.20 at the same distance on May 1.
“He’s going through his paces in good shape,” trainer John Sadler said.
Sadler timed Flightine in 59.60 seconds, with a gallop-out time of six furlongs in “1:12 and change.”
Flightline has led throughout his three starts, prevailing by a combined 37 1/2 lengths. In the Grade 1 Malibu Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs on Dec. 26, Flightline won by 11 1/2 lengths.
Flightline’s speed has proved to be a tremendous asset, but Sadler said the colt has not been too eager in recent workouts.
“He’s more settled now,” Sadler said. “He’s had some extra time.”
Flightline was briefly out of training earlier this year with a strained hock. Sunday’s workout was the fifth for Flightline since he resumed serious training.
The Sadler-trained Bran finished second in the Grade 2 Churchill Downs Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs on Friday and will be pointed to the Del Mar summer season.
Turf races such as the restricted Wickerr Stakes at a mile on July 24 and the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Sept. 3 will be considered.
“He’ll have a chance to stretch out,” Sadler said.