ARCADIA, Calif. - After a disappointing seventh in his first start of the year, the Gold Phoenix of old won the ninth graded stakes of his accomplished career in Saturday’s Grade 3 San Luis Rey Stakes at Santa Anita. Ridden by Hector Berrios, Gold Phoenix ($8.40) closed from seventh of eight to win by three-quarters of a length over 12-1 Flashiest, who set the pace. Mondego (7-2) finished third, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Berrios moved Gold Phoenix three-wide on the turn, closing from fifth to third. In early stretch, Gold Phoenix engaged Flashiest, who led by a length on the backstretch. Flashiest led by a head over Gold Phoenix with a furlong remaining, but lost his advantage before the sixteenth pole. Gold Phoenix ran 1 1/2 miles on turf in 2:26.79 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 96. The remaining order of finish was Truly Quality, Balnikhov, Living Life, City Exile and Watsonville. Truly Quality was the 8-5 favorite. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. For Gold Phoenix, the result of the $101,500 San Luis Rey Stakes was a turnaround from a seventh-place finish in a field of eight in the Grade 3 San Marcos Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Feb. 14. Gold Phoenix was the even-money favorite and was beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Mondego after a wide trip, his first start since a fifth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar last November. Winning trainer Phil D’Amato said the loss last month “was a combination of things. “Maybe he was a little rusty,” he said. “He didn’t have things go his way.” On Saturday, Berrios rode Gold Phoenix for the second time in the 8-year-old gelding’s 31-race career. Berrios rode Gold Phoenix to a win in the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar in July 2023. D’Amato was quick to praise Berrios for his ride on Saturday while waiting outside the winner’s circle. “Hector made a move at the right time and rode him beautifully,” D’Amato said. Gold Phoenix has won 11 races and earned $2,363,087. Owned by the partnership of Agave Racing, Little Red Feather Racing, Marsha Naify and Sterling Stables, Gold Phoenix won his first Grade 3 on Saturday. He won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile in 2023 and has won seven Grade 2 races, including the last four runnings of the Del Mar Handicap held in late summer. Gold Phoenix has started in four runnings of the BC Turf, finishing 10th at Keeneland in 2022, fourth at Santa Anita in 2023 and at Del Mar in 2024, and fifth last fall. Gold Phoenix had the best finish of an American-based runner in the BC Turf in 2024 and 2025. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.