Red King may race again before Breeders' Cup Turf

Without spectators at Del Mar this summer and only a few owners in the stands, the stretch run of races has been eerily quiet compared to a typical year. Quiet, that is, until Red King turned for home in Saturday’s Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap.

Members of the Little Red Feather Racing partnership that co-owns Red King were in attendance and were rowdy in voice-rooting as their gelding held off a late threat from favored United to win his second consecutive stakes.

“That was really amazing,” said Billy Koch, the managing partner of Little Red Feather. “He’s so genuine.”

Red King, claimed for $35,000 at Santa Anita in February 2019, earned $120,000 for the victory in the $203,000 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf. Trained by Phil D’Amato, Red King ($10.60) earned a fees-paid berth to the $6 million Breeders’ Cup Turf at Keeneland on Nov. 7 for winning the Del Mar Handicap, the top race of the summer meeting for distance grass runners.

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“Phil has been really patient and has been spacing his races,” Koch said. “It’s so exciting. To get the Win and You’re In with a horse we claimed for $35,000, I can’t put it into words.”

Little Red Feather owns Red King with Gordon Jacobsen and Phil Belmonte. Earlier this summer, Red King won the Grade 3 San Juan Capistrano Stakes at about 1 3/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita for his first stakes win. The Del Mar Handicap had a better field, including United, a three-time Grade 2 stakes winner this year who was second in the 2019 BC Turf at Santa Anita.

Red King was ridden by Umberto Rispoli, who made a bold move on the backstretch to reach contention. Red King led by a half-length with a furlong remaining and won by a head.

Koch said Sunday that Red King could start before the BC Turf. The options include the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup, a $1 million race at 1 1/2 miles at Kentucky Downs on Sept. 12; or the Grade 2 John Henry Turf Championship, a $200,000 race at 1 1/4 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 26.

“Our original plan was to go to Kentucky Downs,” Koch said. “We’ll have to see and look at the spacing. It will depend on the horse.”

United is likely to start in the John Henry Turf Championship, trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. United raced on the rail to the turn and rallied four-wide. He was closest to the front at the finish.

Mandella said United is better when racing on the outside.

“He’s compromised if he gets tangled up in traffic,” Mandella said. “He’s got to have a smooth trip.”

Red King gave D’Amato his fourth consecutive win in the Del Mar Handicap and sixth win in the last seven years in the race. Four of those winners have started in the BC Turf, with ninth-place finishes by Big John B in 2014 and Acclimate last year as the best results of that group.

The field for the BC Turf will be better known over the next six or seven weeks. Red King figures to be an outsider, especially if a tough team from Europe is sent. Still, Koch and his partners are eager for the experience and know they have a berth in the race.

“We’re so thrilled to go to the Breeders’ Cup and take a shot at $6 million,” he said.

On Sunday, he was still energized by the important stakes win the day before.

“It was quite a day,” he said. “I only wish there were 45,000 people there.”