D'Amato has three for attempt at another Shoemaker Mile

Hong Kong Harry, second in the Grade 1 Old Forester Turf Classic at Churchill Downs last Saturday, is among three expected starters for trainer Phil D’Amato in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita on May 29.

D’Amato has won two of the last five runnings of the Shoemaker Mile, the track’s richest race for turf milers. The winner of the Shoemaker Mile receives a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

A three-time stakes winner in Grade 2 and Grade 3 races last year, Hong Kong Harry was beaten 3 3/4 lengths by favored Up to the Mark in the $1 million Turf Classic at 1 1/8 miles, closing from seventh in a field of eight.

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“He broke a little slow, a little flat-footed,” D’Amato said of Hong Kong Harry. “I think that kind of compromised being tactical. The winner ran a huge race. I don’t know if we could have beaten him. We could have been closer.”

Hong Kong Harry was fourth as the even-money favorite behind stablemate Gold Phoenix in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf on March 4 in his first start of the year.

Gold Phoenix and Balnikhov, the winner of the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile on turf at Golden Gate Fields on April 29, are D’Amato’s other two hopes for the Shoemaker Mile.

Gold Phoenix followed his 10-1 win in the Shoemaker Mile with a fourth-place finish by 2 1/2 lengths in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on April 8.

Hong Kong Harry, a winner of 9 of 15 career starts, was one of five runners for D’Amato in stakes at Churchill Downs last week. Motorious was a fast-closing second in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs at 4-1, losing by three-quarters of a length to 38-1 Nobals, who led throughout.

Hong Kong Harry and Motorious were D’Amato’s only runners at Churchill Downs to finish in the top three in stakes.

Motorious will be rested for the remainder of the spring, with a likely return at the Del Mar summer meeting. The main turf sprint of that season is the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on Sept. 2.

Motorious won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita on March 5, his first career stakes win. The Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs was the fourth start of the year for Motorious.

“I’ve run him a bunch so far,” D’Amato said. “I think I’m due to give him a breather for Del Mar. The goal is to design a campaign for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.”

The BC Turf Sprint will be run at Santa Anita on Nov. 4.

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