King of Gosford, Benoit Photo
Santa Anita Park Press
ARCADIA, CA —Led by King of Gosford, the top four finishers in last month’s GII Del Mar Mile—who were separated by only a half-length on the wire—will meet again Saturday in the Grade II, $200,000 City of Hope Mile on turf at Santa Anita Park. As part of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge series, the winner of the City of Hope Mile earns a fees-paid berth to the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Mile this fall at Keeneland Race Course.
In the Del Mar Mile on Aug. 22, King of Gosford with Umberto Rispoli aboard prevailed by a head over Detain, a Juddmonte colt trained by Michael McCarthy. Joining that pair from the Del Mar Mile in the City of Hope are El Potente, who was a neck back in third; and Cabo Spirit, who finished fourth by a half-length.
Prior to the Del Mar Mile, King of Gosford won the restricted Wickerr Stakes also at one mile on turf at Del Mar. His biggest career victory came last year at Santa Anita when taking down the GI Shoemaker Mile.
A 5-year-old English-bred horse by Zoustar, King of Gosford is trained by Phil D’Amato for owners Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig et al. He has an overall record of 22: 9-3-3 with $1,002,192 in earnings, which includes six starts in Ireland as a 2-year-old. Rispoli, who won the two previous City of Hope Mile’s aboard Johannes, again has the call on King of Gosford.
Detain, imported from Ireland earlier this year, was making his third U.S. start and first in a stakes in the Del Mar Mile. The 4-year-old Irish-bred son of Wootton Basset rallied determinedly under Juan Hernandez in the final furlong, but just missed reeling in King of Gosford. Hernandez retains the mount on Detain, who was Group I-placed in France and sports an overall record of 12: 4-1-3 and $411,525 in earnings.
El Potente in the Del Mar Mile pressed pacesetter Cabo Spirit in second, seized a narrow lead near the sixteenth pole but then was unable to fend off King of Gosford to finish second. Trained by Dan Blacker for owner My Way Racing, El Potente in two other starts this year won the GIII Thunder Road and was a close-up second in the GII Frank E. Kilroe Mile, both going one mile on turf at Santa Anita.
El Potente, a 7-year-old Florida-bred gelding by Temple City, is 19: 7-3-4 with $420,796 in earnings. Regular rider Hector Berrios again takes the call on El Potente.
Veteran Cabo Spirit yielded begrudgingly in the stretch of the Del Mar Mile after setting the pace under Hall of Famer Mike Smith. This will be his second go-around in the City of Hope Mile after finishing second in last year’s edition. Trained by George Papaprodromou for owner Kretz Racing, the 7-year-old gelding by Pioneerof the Nile is 44: 7-6-10 with $1,448,856 in earnings.
The City of Hope Mile is one of five stakes set to go Saturday at Santa Anita. The others on the program are the GI Goodwood Stakes, an automatic qualifier for the $7 million Breeders’ Cup Classic; GII John Henry Turf Championship, GII Eddie D Stakes and GIII John C. Harris Stakes.
THE GRADE II CITY OF HOPE MILE WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER
Race 3 of 10 Approximate post time 2 p.m. PT
- Teao—Paco Lopez—126
- El Potente—Hector Berrios—124
- Cabo Spirit—Mike Smith—124
- Detain—Juan Hernandez—122
- Irish Aces—Joel Rosario—122
- King of Gosford—Umberto Rispoli—126
First post Saturday is 1 p.m. PT.
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