Motorious to train up to BC Turf Sprint

DEL MAR, Calif. – Minor variations in turf sprint distances do not seem to bother Motorious, the California gelding who could make international news this fall.

Motorious won the Grade 3 San Simeon Stakes at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course at Santa Anita in March and was a fast-closing second in the Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs on May 6 at Churchill Downs.

In the Grade 3 Green Flash Handicap at five furlongs on turf Saturday at Del Mar, Motorious won in a convincing manner to earn a fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Santa Anita.

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The BC Turf Sprint has been run six times at Santa Anita since the race was inaugurated in 2008 – five times at about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course, and once at five furlongs on turf, in 2019.

The race will be run at five furlongs on turf this year, which trainer Phil D’Amato said should be ideal for the 5-year-old Motorious, a winner of 4 of 8 starts in the United States.

“He was pretty impressive at five,” D’Amato said Sunday. “I don’t think the distance is a problem.”

The BC Turf Sprint was shifted to five furlongs at Santa Anita in 2019 at a time when the track had discontinued use of the hillside turf course for sprints because of a series of high-profile injuries earlier that year.

Sprints on the hillside turf course resumed at the end of 2021 after a 30-month stoppage.

This year’s Breeders’ Cup will be the first at Santa Anita since 2019.

Motorius, owned by Tony Fanticola, won the Green Flash Handicap by 1 3/4 lengths as the 8-5 favorite, closing from seventh in a field of 12 with a wide move. Motorious is unbeaten in two starts at five furlongs on turf since arriving from Ireland in the winter of 2021-22. He won an allowance race at five furlongs on turf at Del Mar last November in his third start in the United States.

D’Amato said Motorious is unlikely to race before the BC Turf.

“He runs well fresh,” he said. “I’ll probably wait for the Breeders’ Cup.”

A prep race is more likely for Breeders’ Cup Turf hopeful Gold Phoenix, who won the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap for the second consecutive year Saturday. With the win, Gold Phoenix secured a fees-paid berth to the BC Turf. Gold Phoenix was 10th of 13 in the 2022 BC Turf at Keeneland.

Gold Phoenix, a 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stable, and Marsha Naify, is in the midst of his best year.

Gold Phoenix has won 3 of 5 starts, all in stakes, and earned $642,500. He won the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in March and the Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on July 30 at Del Mar.

The Grade 2 John Henry Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on Oct. 1 at Santa Anita is a possibility. Last year, Gold Phoenix finished third by a neck in the John Henry.

“I don’t mind running him again if he’s ready to go,” D’Amato said. “He ran well with a month before [the Del Mar Handicap] and I think he’ll do the same if I run him in the prep at Santa Anita.”

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