Formidable Man, Gold Phoenix chasing history in Eddie Read
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DEL MAR, Calif. – Formidable Man or Gold Phoenix could have a record-breaking day Sunday at Del Mar.
The older runners are scheduled to start in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf, seeking a record sixth career stakes win at Del Mar in the $250,000 race.
Admirably in the 1960s, Flawlessly in the early 1990s, How Now in the late 1950s and 1960, and Midnight Storm in the mid-2010s all had five career stakes wins at Del Mar.
Gold Phoenix and Formidable Man are recent Eddie Read winners.
Gold Phoenix, who has won 10 stakes in his career, including five at Santa Anita, won the 2023 Eddie Read and has won the last four runnings of the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles run at the end of the summer meeting.
Trained by Phil D’Amato, Gold Phoenix won the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf by five lengths at 2-5 on June 14, his 12th win in 33 starts.
On Sunday at Del Mar, Gold Phoenix worked five furlongs on turf in 1:04.60. After the work, D’Amato confirmed that Gold Phoenix would start in the Eddie Read.
Formidable Man won three stakes at Del Mar in 2024 – the Oceanside Stakes and Del Mar Derby in the summer and the Hollywood Derby at the fall meeting. Last summer, Formidable Man won the Read and Del Mar Mile and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at the fall meeting.
Trained by Michael McCarthy, Formidable Man won the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 25 at Santa Anita in his only start this year.
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