ARCADIA, Calif. – Spring at Santa Anita is always good for trainer Phil D’Amato, who expects his run to continue during the 2026 Hollywood Meet that begins Friday. D’Amato led the spring meet standings in 2023, 2024, and 2025. He also led the Santa Anita winter-spring standings in 2021 and 2022 when statistics were compiled over an extended six-month season from late December to June. On the eve of the 2026 spring meet, D’Amato expressed optimism that his stable will be prominent throughout the two-month meet. “We should be very active as long as we get races to go,” D’Amato said. “A lot of new horses are going to steadily appear. Euros and other horses are going to start popping up. We have a lot of new horses on the horizon.” D’Amato also has familiar faces scheduled to see action this spring. Grade 1 winner King of Gosford and Almendares are entered in the Grade 3 American Stakes on Saturday, along with Iriseach and Later Than Planned in the $100,000 John Shear Stakes the same day. Thought Process is D’Amato’s top female turf runner, having scored a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 90 in her comeback victory Feb. 28 in the Grade 2 Buena Vista Stakes. Thought Process will seek her first Grade 1 victory on May 25. “We’re going to run her straight into the Gamely,” D’Amato said. :: Santa Anita Classic Meet! Get DRF Past Performances, Clocker Reports, and more. He considered the Grade 3 Royal Heroine on April 25 for Thought Process, but the 4-year-old filly runs so well fresh that a three-month break coming into the Gamely will be just right. Thought Process has won six races and $500,200 from nine starts. D’Amato nominated three to the Royal Heroine – Grade 3 winners Innovative and Public Assembly, and Ripassare. Gold Phoenix, the 8-year-old gelding whose 10 victories include nine graded stakes, is aiming for the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham on May 2. D’Amato said Grade 2 Del Mar Derby winner The Padre is likely to run in either the Whittingham or a race at Churchill Downs after his promising runner-up comeback on April 3. Stronghold, the 2024 Santa Anita Derby winner, is entered in an allowance Friday at Oaklawn Park after scratching from the Grade 3 San Carlos Stakes on March 29 at Santa Anita. Stronghold has not raced since August. Maximum Bourbon is a D’Amato-trained sprinter to follow. Purchased at a spring auction for $400,000, the 4-year-old gelding has won 3 of 5 starts and earned a 103 Beyer Speed Figure finishing second in his most recent start at Fair Grounds. Maximum Bourbon is currently stabled at Oaklawn Park. D’Amato said he plans to campaign him this summer at Del Mar. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.