Long famous for his skills in training turf horses, Phil D’Amato is making the most of the opportunity with his 3-year-old dirt horse Wall winner of the Santa Anita Derby (G1) and points to the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs.
Since starting full-time training in 2014, 97 of D’Amato’s 123 graded stakes wins (79%) have come from horses competing on turf, many of them European transplants raced in Southern California, led by the 2016 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) winner Clear . When D’Amato competes in a top-level dirt track race, it’s usually with an older runner, perhaps passed over to him mid-career, with horses like winner Santa Margarita Stakes (G1) 2018 Error and 2018 Bing Crosby Stakes (G1) winner Moon ransom are examples.
Stronghold is a break from that mold. A foal by the Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms stallion Ghostzapper Owned by Sharon and Eric “Rick” Waller, he was developed by D’Amato through every step of his six-race career, resulting in three wins and multiple second-place finishes. He has an income of $827,200.
“Personally, I’m starting to train more grass horses than dirt horses just for the money,” said D’Amato, 48, a multiple title winner. Buying European or grass horses will help. Much easier on the pocket.” coach in Southern California. “The demand for quality, well-bred earth horses—it just costs a lot more money.
“So, fortunately, over the last few years, we’ve been able to buy some more dirt horses, some older prospects and hopefully grow into some nice dirt prospects as well.”
Even Stronghold is different from recent acquisitions—a purebred for Waller’s small-scale breeding operation.
“I trained Stronghold’s mother, Spectator, and she’s a very nice earth horse,” he said of the graded stakes winner. “They were lucky enough to breed her to a very nice stallion in Ghostzapper, which gave us Fortress here.”
Unfortunately, Spectator died giving birth to Stronghold, her first foal.
“Needless to say, we went through a lot of adversity and obstacles to get to Stronghold,” Rick Waller previously told BloodHorse. “As small breeders, we can only dream of having a beautiful horse.”
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Stronghold is one of the most traveled horses in the Derby line-up, having initially raced in position Ellis Park And Churchill Downs in Kentucky. Notably, his maiden win at Churchill Downs October 1 proved a pivotal race for the Kentucky Derby. Besides Stronghold, the 2nd-3rd place finishers in the race—resilience And Follow the ghost —are Derby prep winners and are in the Kentucky Derby lineup.
Brought west after his maiden win to join D’Amato’s main stable in California, Stronghold was second several times in graded stakes late in his 2-year-old season before winning He went 2-for-2 this year at 3. He went 2-for-2 this year. beat a regular field in the February 18 Sunland Park Derby (G3) in New Mexico before returning to California and defeating the April 6 Santa Anita Derby in a tense battle with the trained field by Bob Baffert Imagination .
By Churchill Downs Inc. banning Baffert from its tracks, Imagination failed to qualify for the Derby with a runner-up finish, leaving Stronghold as the sole representative of the Santa Anita Derby in this year’s race. The Santa Anita Derby, which has produced 19 Kentucky Derby winners, did not attract as much depth and quality as usual this year, partly due to Baffert’s top runners—Muth , Nysos And Maymun —not competitive for many reasons.
Still, D’Amato believes the Santa Anita Derby winner is a contender.
“His numbers might be a little soft, Beyer-wise,” he said, referring to the famous Beyer Speed Figures published on the Daily Racing Form. “But for me, you put him in a race with these horses, I think he lines up very well and is suited to them.”
D’Amato said Stronghold, who arrived in Kentucky earlier this week, is scheduled to depart April 28. Joe Talamo, who rode the colt to his first win last fall, will be on board to catch the wind, replacing jockey Antonio Fresu. Fresu has riding obligations this weekend in California, some of which are for D’Amato.
Desert dawn notably finishing third in the Kentucky Oaks (G1), run the day before the Derby before nearly a packed house.
Participating in such a grand stage is rewarding for almost anyone involved in the sport, and certainly the same for D’Amato, who as a child grew up in Southern California, would go to the now-closed Hollywood Park with his parents, who own horses. As a young man, D’Amato earned a degree in political science from the University of Southern California before earning a second degree in animal science at the University of Arizona’s Racetrack Industry Program.
He then worked for various trainers around the country before returning to California and spending 10 years working for Mike Mitchell before taking over that stable when Mitchell retired in 2014, a year before he passed away from cancer. D’Amato’s Breeders’ Cup winner Apparently was previously overseen by Mitchell.
“This is pretty much what I’ve worked my whole career to get to this point,” D’Amato said of the Derby. “My dream was to have a horse in the Kentucky Derby and to finally achieve that… being able to share that with friends, family and owners, it’s just a really great feeling. ”
