DEL MAR, Calif. — Trainer Phil D’Amato is loaded for bear this summer at Del Mar. After finishing fourth in the 2021 Del Mar summer meet trainer standings, he rebounded nicely to win Del Mar’s fall meet trainer’s title and followed that with Santa Anita’s winter/spring meet title. So he would like nothing more than to keep the streak going this summer.
“Everyone always comes into this meet loaded,” D’Amato says. “It’s usually the best-of-the-best who come here and hopefully we can have a successful meet.”
D’Amato has a string of 50 horses stabled at Del Mar this summer. He says Going Global will probably run in the G2 Yellow Ribbon August 13. Leggs Galore is pointing to the Daisycutter July 29; Santa Anita Oaks winner Desert Dawn may go in the G1 Clement Hirsch August 6; Hong Kong Harry, last out winner of the G3 American Stakes at Santa Anita, may go next in the Eddie Read July 31, and G1 Shoemaker Mile winner Count Again is being pointed to the G2 Del Mar Mile September 3.
D’Amato takes a crack at Del Mar’s first graded stake of the summer when he sends out four runners in the G2 San Clemente on Saturday. The one mile turf event will have 12 top-notch 3-year old fillies going postward in the 11th and final race of the day.
Benowitz Family Trust, et al’s Bellabel will be making her first start since winning the $100,000 Blue Norther at Santa Anita in January. It was the Irish-bred filly’s U.S. debut and second win in a row.
“We gave her some time off following her win earlier in the year,” D’Amato noted, “and she’s coming back, training very well.”
D’Amato also saddles R-Unicorn Stable’s, Island of Love, winner of three-of-her-six career starts including the G3 Senorita at Santa Anita in May.
“She ran second for me last time to a really nice filly,” D’Amato says. “I think she’ll like this turf course.”
That runner-up finish came in the G3 Honeymoon at Santa Anita to Cairo Memories, a filly who went on to set the pace before running sixth in the G1 Belmont Oaks two weeks ago at Belmont Park. Island of Love also posted a runner-up finish to Lucky Girl in the $75,000 Lady Shamrock Stakes at Santa Anita in her stateside debut in January. Lucky Girl also will run in the San Clemente for Panic Stable and trainer George Papaprodromou.
D’Amato’s other two runners in the San Clemente are also Irish-breds, Sixteen Arches and Helens Wells.
Here’s the field for the G2 San Clemente from the rail with the jockeys and morning line odds. Lady T (Victor Espinoza 6-1); Countess Rosina (Ryan Curatolo 8-1); Sixteen Arches (Abel Cedillo 20-1); Tezzaray (Ramon Vasquez 6-1); Gem Mine (Jose Valdivia 10-1); Bellabel (Umberto Rispoli 4-1); Island of Love (Juan Hernandez 5-1); Anthonys Cleopatra (Frank Alvarado 20-1); Helens Well (Tiago Pereira 8-1); Lucky Girl (Joe Bravo 8-1); Mise Le Meas (Drayden Van Dyke 8-1) and Gold Dragon Queen (Abdul Alsagoor 30-1).
Del Mar Press Release
Photo: Trainer Phil D’Amato (Benoit Photo)
