Gold Phoenix races at Santa Anita this Saturday

Gold Phoenix, a seven-year-old horse, is set to begin his 2024 racing season at Santa Anita in the San Luis Rey Stakes this Saturday. Trained by Phil D’Amato, he will face competition from another horse in his barn named Easter. Gold Phoenix is a Grade I winner and recently finished fourth in the Breeders’ Cup Turf. Easter also performed well last month, finishing second in the San Marcos Stakes. In the jockey standings at Santa Anita, Juan Hernandez leads with 43 wins, followed by Flavien Prat with 41 wins. Among the trainers, Mark Glatt is in the lead with 25 wins, closely followed by Bob Baffert at 23. This weekend features several important races. On Saturday, the San Luis Rey Stakes offers a prize of $100,000. Other notable upcoming races include the China Doll Stakes for three-year-old fillies and two quarter-horse races at Los Alamitos worth a combined $725,000. Kazushi Kimura, a jockey who recently recovered from a leg injury, plans to return to the track with three rides on Friday. In Las Vegas, a financial advisor from Chicago, Dan Piazza, won the National Horseplayers Championship, taking home $825,000 after leading throughout the three-day event. The Kentucky Derby qualifying races will kick off on Saturday with two significant races, giving contenders the chance to earn enough points to secure a spot in the Derby. In Florida, concerns for the racing industry are growing as legislators advanced a bill that could affect live racing, seen as a potential threat to the future of the sport. Tragedy struck in harness racing when driver Hunter Myers was killed in an accident at The Meadows racetrack. He was known for winning 2,450 races during his career. Lastly, The Chosen Vron, the California-bred Horse of the Year in 2023 and 2024, has been retired after a successful career with total earnings of over $1.7 million.