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Odds-On King Of Gosford Prevails In A Photo Finish To Win Sunday’s $100,000 Desert Code Stakes
5/19/2024
ODDS-ON KING OF GOSFORD PREVAILS IN A PHOTO FINISH TO WIN SUNDAY’S $100,000 DESERT CODE STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLDS ON THE HILLSIDE TURF COURSE
European import now 3-for-3 with 2 stakes wins in the U.S.
ARCADIA, CA (May 19, 2024)—King of Gosford continued his winning ways Sunday when narrowly prevailing in the $100,000 Desert Code Stakes for 3-year-olds on the hillside turf course. The European import is now 3-for-3 with two stakes wins in the U.S. for trainer Phil D’Amato.
Dispatched as the 3-5 favorite, King of Gosford and jockey Antonio Fresu needed the entire stretch to edge past stubborn pacesetter All That Glory (5-1) and score by a neck. Finishing another 1 ¾ lengths back in third was 5-2 second choice Guy Named Joe.
King of Gosford broke sharply and the lead was there for the taking, but Fresu was content to let All That Glory and fellow Italian Umberto Rispoli grab the early lead. All That Glory proceeded to set comfortable fractions of 22.28 and 44.26 seconds with King of Gosford lapped to his outside. All That Glory, making his stakes debut for trainer Tim Yakteen, continued to battle gamely before yielding grudgingly.
“I knew that Umberto’s horse had more speed than my horse because I rode All That Glory last time,” Fresu said. “So, I just tried to keep track. Just stay right on his flank. My horse was always travelling beautifully on the bridle, and I was just waiting for the right time to go.”
The winning time for about 6 ½ furlongs on firm turf was 1:12.02.
King of Gosford paid $3.40, $2.40 and $2.10. All That Glory returned $4.80 and $2.60 and Guy Named Joe paid $2.20 to show.
Bred in England, King of Gosford made six starts in Ireland before shipping stateside. The 3-year-old Zoustar colt is now 9: 4-0-1 with $169,192 in earnings. In his two prior U.S. starts, both at Santa Anita, King of Gosford won both a first-level allowance at six furlongs on turf March 10 and the John Shear Stakes on the hillside turf course April 7.
D’Amato said King of Gosford will now be pointed to the Oceanside Stakes at one mile on turf on opening day at Del Mar July 20.
Live racing resumes Friday with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT.