Newgrange's allowance romp means likely start in Native Diver

ARCADIA, Calif. - Newgrange led throughout an allowance race at a mile on dirt at Santa Anita on Sunday to win for the first time since the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park in January, and for the first time since he sold for $325,000 at auction in Kentucky in July.

The win is likely to lead to a start in the Grade 3 Native Diver Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 27. The $150,000 Native Diver is the leading dirt race for older horses at the track’s autumn meeting, which begins on Friday.

Ridden by Ricky Gonzalez, Newgrange ($7.80) led by a half-length on the first turn, and by 1 1/2 lengths on the final turn before pulling clear to prevail by 5 1/2 lengths over 7-10 favorite Tripoli.

Figureti, Impossible Task and Azul Coast completed the order of finish. Azul Coast won the 2021 Native Diver Stakes.

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Newgrange is owned by David Bernsen, Rockingham Ranch and the Little Red Feather Racing partnership and is trained by Phil D’Amato.

“He beat a decent group with Tripoli in there,” D’Amato said of Sunday’s race. “He deserves a shot to go back up the ladder.”

Tripoli, trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, is winless in six starts since the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August 2021. Sadler trained the now-retired Flightline, the winner of Saturday’s Breeders’ Cup Classic at Keeneland, for a partnership that includes the Hronis family.

Sunday’s allowance race was Tripoli’s first start since a fifth in the Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 1.

Newgrange has won 4 of 6 starts and earned $941,460. He began his career with trainer Bob Baffert, winning his first three starts, including the Grade 3 Sham Stakes at Santa Anita in January. Newgrange later finished sixth as the 4-5 favorite in the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park in February.

At the time, the colt, by Violence, was owned by a large partnership.

Newgrange was D’Amato’s first winner since Oct. 30. He was winless with three Breeders’ Cup runners at Keeneland on Friday and Saturday. Comanche Country finished seventh in the Juvenile Fillies, Going to Vegas was last of 12 in the Filly and Mare Turf, and Gold Phoenix was 10th in the Turf.

“I got my butt handed to me and came back and got a win – on the dirt,” D’Amato said with a smile. “I can train a dirt horse.”
D’Amato has won 102 races, including 90 on turf, this year.

D’Amato said that Comanche Country, Gold Phoenix and the 3-year-old filly Desert Dawn will be rested for 30 days at Kingfisher Farm near Solvang, Calif., before returning to the Santa Anita stable in advance of the track’s winter-spring meeting that begins on Dec. 26.

Desert Dawn won the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks in April and has not raced since a second in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar on Sept. 4.

Going to Vegas was listed as sold for $1.5 million to prominent Japanese owner and breeder Katsumi Yoshida at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky on Sunday.

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