Public Assembly Takes Royal Heroine for D'Amato

Public Assembly continued to thrive since being purchased and transferred to trainer Phil D'Amato with a rallying victory in the $100,000 Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T) April 26 at Santa Anita Park. Abbondanza Racing and Taylor Made Sales Agency's Medallion Racing purchased Public Assembly for $225,000 at the 2024 Keeneland November Horses of Racing Age Sale, where EliTE consigned her on behalf of former owner Peter Brant. Public Assembly was based with trainer Chad Brown for the first four races of her career. She broke her maiden at Kentucky Downs last September. The now 4-year-old More Than Ready filly won a first-level allowance optional claiming race March 30, going 1 1/4 miles on the turf at Santa Anita in her first start for the new ownership group, which also includes Lissa Ann McNulty. "I told Phil after that she should run in a stakes right away," said an impressed Antonio Fresu, who has ridden Public Assembly in both her West Coast starts. To get her ready for the turn-back to a mile in her graded stakes debut, D'Amato worked her five furlongs in a bullet :58 2/5 April 19 at Santa Anita. "Coming from a mile-and-a-quarter to a mile, I kind of wanted a real sharp work to get her on her toes so she'd get more interested in the race, and it worked out," D'Amato said. Breaking from the rail in a field of 11 fillies and mares, Public Assembly indeed kept in touch, tracking the pace from fifth early while holding her inside path. Up front, Hamwood Flier (IRE) had opened up on the lead, setting solid fractions of :22.71, :46.23 and 1:10.99. Public Assembly was still in fifth place at the quarter pole, about two lengths back. When Fresu asked her to split horses in midstretch, she surged to the lead, quickly opened an advantage, and won by 1 3/4 lengths. The winner's time for a mile on the turf course rated good was 1:36.13. She paid $18 for a $2 win wager. D'Amato had four runners in the race, and it was another of his trainees, the Brazilian group 1 winner Sun of Hill (BRZ), who closed from last to finish second. It was another 1 1/4 lengths back to third place Sneaker, a 4-year-old Oscar Performance filly who rallied to earn her first graded placing. "Phil and his barn have done such a wonderful, wonderful job with (Public Assembly)," said a jubilant Abbondanza Racing founder Bing Bush. "After she won her last race, we were kind of thinking she might want to go a little bit longer, but Phil said, 'You know what, I think a mile might suit her just great.' "I just can't believe it. I'm so excited right now." Public Assembly has won three of six starts and earned $224,666. She was bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms and Pollock Farms, and is out of the winning Kitten's Joy mare Enchanting Kitten, a full sister to multiple grade 3 winner Csaba and stakes winner Kitten's Queen.