Test Score wins Del Mar Handicap to thwart Gold

One of the more outstanding streaks in the historical past of this practically century-old racetrack is still alive.

It’s just not the one most people anticipated.

Gold Phoenix’s bid to be a part of Kelso as the only horses to win the same major stakes race in North America in 5 straight years ended Saturday night when the 8-year-old gelding completed fourth behind Test Score and two others in the $300,000 Del Mar Handicap.

“Got beat, I think less than a length, and got stopped there at the top of the lane,” coach Phil D’Amato said. “That’s grass racing.”

More particularly, it’s grass racing at Del Mar against Graham Motion, the East Coast coach who in current years has been more profitable right here than a margarita concession stand.

Test Score was the eighth horse Motion has despatched to Del Mar for a summer time stakes race since 2022 — and the eighth to win.

“It’s crazy,” said assistant coach Alice Clapham, who accompanied Test Score on his journey west. “It’s one of those things you just pinch yourself. You know it’s going to stop at some point but you just go along for the ride.”

Gold Phoenix’s homeowners know the sensation.

They never anticipated their gelding to win this race 4 straight instances, an unprecedented feat at Del Mar, but each yr since 2022 he discovered a method, prevailing thrice by less than half a size and once by 1¼ lengths.

This time the 11-10 favourite discovered himself on the flawed aspect of a five-horse photograph end. He nosed out Mondego but was a head behind Atomic Age, who was half a size behind Atitlan, who was a neck behind Test Score. The winner, a son of Lookin at Lucky who is half Gold Phoenix’s age, paid $7.20 as the 13-5 second alternative.

While disenchanted, Gold Phoenix’s connections weren’t about to ask for condolences.

“We’re so grateful for everything that he has done, for all of us and the partners,” said Gary Fenton, managing companion of Little Red Feather Racing Stable. “He’s just a really, really special horse and today changes nothing.”

Said Billy Koch, Little Red Feather’s other managing companion: “It just didn’t work out the way we needed it to work out. He tries, though, every time. Can’t say anything but be proud of him.”

Koch said he had a feeling during the race that another win could possibly be problematic. Gold Phoenix was close to the back of the pack in the sphere of 11 until the far flip, when jockey Hector Berrios started urging him. The jockey had to maintain him up just a bit as they got here around the nook, though he had a clear run once he shifted toward the rail.

Test Score also rallied from behind but had a little smoother journey under Juan Hernandez and outdid the other closers.

“[Berrios] took a chance to go up in there,” D’Amato said. “It got a little tight but once he got through, he battled and we just got outrun.”

The closing time of 2 minutes 14.76 seconds for 1-3/8 miles was the quickest since Gold Phoenix’s initial win (2:14.51). As half of the Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series, Test Score earned a fees-paid berth in the $5-million Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 31 at Keeneland in Kentucky.

Fenton said the plan is to give Gold Phoenix another shot in that race, in which he’s completed fourth twice, fifth and tenth and earned $640,000 — about 25% of his profession earnings of $2.6 million.

He received’t be the only Little Red Feather horse at Keeneland. Just a half-hour before Gold Phoenix’s race, Iron Man Cal pulled off an 8-1 upset in another Grade 2 race, the $250,000 Pat O’Brien. That win, in 1:22.02 for seven furlongs under Joel Rosario, assured the 4-year-old gelding a berth in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.