ARCADIA, Calif. – Prestigious and lucrative races at Santa Anita or afar, and possibly very afar, are in wintertime plans for Easter and Newgrange, who won Grade 2 stakes for trainer Phil D’Amato at Santa Anita on Tuesday’s opening day of the winter-spring meeting. Easter won his third consecutive stakes in the $200,500 San Gabriel Stakes at 1/8 miles on turf as the 7-10 favorite, closing from last of six through the final half-mile. The win left D’Amato aiming for a start in the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf, a $300,000 race at Santa Anita on March 2. The Kilroe Mile would be the first start in a Grade 1 for Easter since he finished fourth of five in the Man o’ War Stakes at Belmont Park in May 2022 when trained by Graham Motion. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports D’Amato has the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Del Mar on Nov. 2 as a long-range goal for Easter. “I don’t want to put too many races in him” in 2024, D’Amato said. “I want to space out his campaign and get him to the Breeders’ Cup.” Easter won the restricted Lure Stakes at a mile on turf at Santa Anita on Oct. 28 in his California debut and final start for Motion, and his first start for D’Amato in the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on Nov. 25. The San Gabriel was Easter’s longest win. The 5-year-old gelding races for Madaket Stable. “He came out of the race really good,” D’Amato said. “I don’t think the race took anything out of him.” Newgrange, who won Tuesday’s $200,000 San Antonio Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on dirt, could appear anywhere from Santa Anita or Gulfstream Park to Saudi Arabia in coming months. The local option is the Grade 2 San Pasqual Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 27, a race Newgrange won last January. The Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup, a $3 million race at 1 1/8 miles at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 27, and the $20 million Saudi Cup at 1 1/8 miles in Saudi Arabia in February, also hold intrigue, D’Amato said. “There are a lot of options,” D’Amato said. “We have to see how ambitious we want to be. “We’ll see how he trains.” Newgrange, a 4-year-old colt, races for the partnership of David Bernsen, the Little Red Feather Racing syndicate and Rockingham Ranch. For Newgrange, the San Antonio was preceded by a quiet third in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 26. In the San Antonio, D’Amato instructed jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., to ride Newgrange in a more aggressive style and stay closer to the front. Newgrange stalked the pace before taking the lead in the stretch. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.