Eight-year-old Gold Phoenix will make his seasonal debut in the $100,000 San Marcos Stakes (G3T) Feb. 14 at Santa Anita Park, going 1 1/4 miles over the downhill turf course.
Returning to a track he has had much success over, the Philip D'Amato trainee enters the race off a game fifth-place finish in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Turf (G1T) at Del Mar after being compromised at the break. Prior to that race, he won back-to-back graded stakes races—the John Henry Turf Championship Stakes (G2T) and the Del Mar Handicap (G2T).
The hard-knocking Belardo gelding, campaigned by Agave Racing Stable, Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stables, and Marsha Naify, has earned more than $2.3 million during his illustrious career and doesn't look to be slowing down any time soon. He enters the race off a bullet work, going 5 furlongs in :59 over Santa Anita's all-weather track.
Among his opponents is the Peter Eurton trainee, Stay Hot, runner-up to Gold Phoenix in both the John Henry and Del Mar Handicap. The 5-year-old son of Summer Front has been winless in his last five starts.
Trainer Michael McCarthy sends out two entries in Amerman Racing's Endlessly and Cheyenne Stable's Mondego, whose last start came in the San Gabriel Stakes (G3T) Dec. 28, where he finished third ahead of Stay Hot in fourth and Endlessly in fifth.
Augustin Stables' two-time Hollywood Turf Cup Stakes (G2T) winner Truly Quality will attempt to avenge his sixth-place finish in the San Marcos last year.
Entries: San Marcos S. (G3T)
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, February 14, 2026, Race 7
- Grade III
- 1 1/4m
- Downhill turf
- $100,000
- 4 yo's & up
- 3:37 PM (local)
| PP | Horse | Jockey | Wgt | Trainer | M/L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1Endlessly (KY) | Ricardo Gonzalez | 124 | Michael W. McCarthy | 12/1 |
| 2 | 2Smooth Salute (KY) | Victor Espinoza | 120 | Alfredo P. Marquez | 50/1 |
| 3 | 3Grogu (KY) | Diego A. Herrera | 120 | Leonard Powell | 20/1 |
| 4 | 4Truly Quality (KY) | Mike E. Smith | 124 | Jonathan Thomas | 3/1 |
| 5 | 5Mondego (GB) | Emisael Jaramillo | 120 | Michael W. McCarthy | 8/1 |
| 6 | 6Twirling Point (KY) | Antonio Fresu | 122 | Jonathan Thomas | 15/1 |
| 7 | 7Stay Hot (KY) | Juan J. Hernandez | 124 | Peter Eurton | 7/2 |
| 8 | 8Flashiest (KY) | Armando Ayuso | 122 | Leonard Powell | 15/1 |
| 9 | 9Gold Phoenix (IRE) | Kazushi Kimura | 124 | Philip D'Amato | 9/5 |
| 98 | 10Amplitude (NY) | SCRATCHED | 0 | UNKNOWN | - |
