King of Gosford goes for sixth stakes win in Wickerr
:quality(75))
King of Gosford is more than a year removed from a career-defining win in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita, and he’s showing signs that he may be capable of that sort of performance again.
King of Gosford closed from seventh to finish third by 1 1/2 lengths in the 2026 Shoemaker Mile on May 25. The effort gives trainer Phil D’Amato confidence the 5-year-old can win his sixth stakes in Sunday’s $100,000 Wickerr Stakes at a mile on turf at Del Mar.
“I liked what I saw last time,” D’Amato said. “I’ve seen him continually training well. I think he’s gotten the rust off.”
The Wickerr, the ninth race on an 11-race program, will be King of Gosford’s third start this year. He was fourth by 1 3/4 lengths in the Grade 3 American Stakes on April 18 at Santa Anita to Almendares, who finished second to Formidable Man in the Shoemaker Mile.
:: Play to Win at Del Mar! Get DRF Past Performances, Expert Picks and Clocker Reports
Almendares and Formidable Man are not eligible for the Wickerr, which is restricted to nonwinners of a stakes worth $50,000 or more to the winner, other than statebred races, in races at a mile or longer since Oct. 1.
The Wickerr drew an accomplished field of nine. Atitlan, First Peace, and Mi Hermano Ramon are Grade 2 winners. Artislas and Freedom’s Not Free have won Grade 3 stakes. Twirling Point won a lesser stakes, and American Hope was third in the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf on June 14 at Santa Anita.
The only runner without success in a stakes is Captain Choochies, who had a six-race winning streak end with a seventh-place finish in the American Stakes. Captain Choochies is expected to set the pace.
“I think it’s come up tough,” D’Amato said. “But out of Grade 1 company, I think it’s class relief” for King of Gosford.
King of Gosford, who races for the partnership of Sandra Benowitz, John Rochfort, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig, and Jeremy Peskoff, is likely to race from off the pace. He closed from sixth of nine to win the Shoemaker Mile in May 2025.
“He should be pretty tactical,” D’Amato said. “He can place himself in a good spot. Hopefully, I expect to win.”
Trainer Mark Glatt is hoping to play the role of spoiler. He starts First Peace, Freedom’s Not Free, and Mi Hermano Ramon.
Freedom’s Not Free and First Peace were first and third in the Grade 3 Daytona Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course on June 13 at Santa Anita in their first starts of the year. Freedom’s Not Free won two one-mile stakes for 3-year-olds on turf at Santa Anita in early 2025. He is likely to stalk Captain Coochies.
“I feel good about him,” Glatt said. “He ran very well off the bench. He’s done well since the race. I suppose there could be a bit of a bounce factor that could come into play. Certainly, he’s a good down-the-hill horse. I think a flat mile is good for him.”
First Peace won the 2024 Wickerr and later that year won the Grade 2 Eddie D Stakes on the hillside turf course. He was winless in two starts last year, both turf sprints.
Mi Hermano Ramon was sixth in the Shoemaker Mile, beaten 2 1/2 lengths at 22-1. Mi Hermano Ramon raced near the front, took the lead approaching the stretch, but faded in the final strides.
“I thought he ran really good the other day,” Glatt said. “I think he made the lead way too soon and chased a hot pace.”
Mi Hermano Ramon won the Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar in November 2024.
Sumter, Motorious lead sprint
Sumter, a 7-year-old gelding beaten a nose in the Daytona Stakes, and Motorious, who has won or been placed first in the last three runnings of the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at Del Mar, lead an intriguing allowance race at five furlongs on turf in Sunday’s third race.
Sumter, trained by Richard Mandella, led in the stretch of the Daytona but was caught at the wire by Freedom’s Not Free.
“He had the lead and looked like he was home free,” Mandella said.
Sumter won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes on the hillside turf course on March 14 at Santa Anita. Motorious has not raced since a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Joe Hernandez Stakes as the 7-5 favorite at Santa Anita in December. Sumter was second in that field.
Motorious has started at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar six times. A closer, the 8-year-old has finished first three times in those races and was promoted from second to first in the 2025 Green Flash after race winner Reef Runner was controversially disqualified for causing interference shortly after the start.
D’Amato, who trains Motorious, said Sunday’s allowance is a prep for the now-Grade 2 Green Flash Handicap on Aug. 22.
“With these older horses, sometimes it’s harder to gauge how fit you have them,” D’Amato said. “I decided to run here instead of train him up to the Green Flash.”
:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.