D'Amato polishes off big day with wins in Autumn Miss and Sen. Ken Maddy

ARCADIA, Calif. – A storybook Saturday for trainer Phil D’Amato ended with back-to-back stakes victories at Santa Anita. Amy C. and Rhea Moon won the last final two races, giving D’Amato the first stakes four-bagger of his career. All four were on turf.

Amy C. ($9.40) won the $100,000 Senator Ken Maddy for filly-mare turf sprinters; Rhea Moon ($14.60) won the Grade 3 Autumn Miss for 3-year-old fillies. Earlier Saturday, D’Amato won the Grade 3 Bryan Station at Keeneland with Balnikhov and Grade 2 Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita with Going Global.

The hillside sprint victory by Amy C in the Maddy was not a big surprise. Second choice in the betting, she wore down odds-on 3-year-old stablemate Connie Swingle to win the race by 1 1/2 lengths under Umberto Rispoli.

The Maddy was Amy C’s first start since late July, her fourth win from nine starts, and second win on the hill. D’Amato said Amy C “has found a home on the downhill course. She is two for two. I think she is just kind of an extended sprinter.” Amy C is a 5-year-old English-bred mare by Charming Thought.

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The win by Rhea Moon qualifies as an upset. She had not raced since winning an entry-level allowance in late August at Del Mar, where she responded to a change in tactics by jockey Juan Hernandez.

“Juan figured her out,” D’Amato said. “No matter what, just get her covered up, and she’ll come with a big run. She was very impressive at Del Mar, and after that race, we had [the Autumn Miss] in mind.”

In both summer starts, Hernandez took Rhea Moon back and she finished well. He did the same thing Saturday in the Autumn Miss. Rhea Moon was rated in eighth, rallied wide, and won by 1 1/4 lengths in 1:34.44.

The Grade 1 American Oaks on Dec. 26 at Santa Anita is the next objective, and the question will be, can Rhea Moon get 1 1/4 miles? D’Amato believes she can.

“The way she won today, I don’t see why not. I think with that style, she can run all day.”

Owned by Rockingham Ranch and Talla Racing, Rhea Moon is an Irish import by Starspangledbanner, with 3 wins from 8 starts.

Autumn Miss runner-up Nadette rallied from last in a promising U.S. debut for trainer Neil Drysdale. She also could show up in the American Oaks.

As for even-money favorite Cairo Memories, it is back to the drawing board. The multiple Grade 3 winner pulled hard pressing the pace, made the lead passing the quarter pole, and then fizzled. She finished fifth by 3 3/4 lengths.

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