Island of Love Among Four for D'Amato in San Clemente

Phil D'Amato, who distanced all other trainers at Santa Anita Park this year by wins and purse earnings, brings his powerhouse stable to Del Mar ready to continue his reign. He has four of the 13 3-year-old fillies entered in the $200,000 San Clemente Stakes (G2T) July 23. The quartet range in experience from graded stakes winner to non-winner of 2. All four are Irish-breds who began their racing careers in Europe. Three have run exclusively on turf, while the fourth has competed on turf and synthetic. "It's taken me a while to figure out the winning recipe in terms of how they acclimate," D'Amato said. "I think that's the most important part, to treat them all as individuals." The recipe is working. Island of Love (IRE) became a graded winner during D'Amato's banner Santa Anita season, when the trainer saddled 63 winners and had purse earnings of more than $5.3 million. The daughter of Kodiac (GB) captured the May 7 Senorita Stakes (G3T) at a mile on the turf and then finished second at 1 1/8 miles on turf in the May 29 Honeymoon Stakes (G3T). In the latter race, she was outfinished a bit late to lose by 1 1/4 lengths by Cairo Memories, the top sophomore grass filly in California. The latter sits out the San Clemente after shipping east and running a close fifth in the July 9 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T). "She's really gotten good in her last two races," D'Amato said of Island of Love. "I think this distance at a mile might suit her best." Island of Love, owned by R Unicorn Stable, drew post 8 in the San Clemente and will be ridden by Juan Hernandez, who led all jockeys at Santa Anita. She could give D'Amato his first San Clemente victory. The trainer missed by a half-length last year with Going Global (IRE). Other leading San Clemente contenders for D'Amato include Bellabel (IRE) and Helens Well (IRE). The Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano own both fillies, with Madaket Stables joining in on Helens Well. Bellabel, in her only start in this country, won the Jan. 2 Blue Norther Stakes at Santa Anita. The daughter of Belardo (Ire) hasn't raced since. D'Amato has named Umberto Rispoli on Bellabel from post 6. "We turned her out—she had a long campaign as a 2-year-old when we got her," D'Amato said. "She won first time out, so we thought that was as good a time as any to give her a breather and point for these races in the second half of the year." Helens Well, by the Kodiac stallion Kodi Bear (IRE), finished third in the Blue Norther and in a June 12 allowance optional claimer. Last year she ran second in two stakes and was unplaced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T). Tiago Pereira is set to ride from post 10. "This is her second start off the layoff," said D'Amato. "Her first start off the bench was okay, but she should be primed and ready. I think this is a turf course more to her liking. She broke her maiden here and has run well in stakes company here." Rounding out the D'Amato quartet and perhaps the biggest price of his trainees is Michael House's Sixteen Arches (IRE), to be ridden by Abel Cedillo from post 3. The daughter of Mehmas (IRE) broke her maiden in her native country on synthetic but has been unplaced in three starts at Santa Anita. "I've been dying to try her on a turf course that's more European-like," said D'Amato. "She always trained as good as any stakes horse I've had. But she's just kind of had a little trouble here and there, enough to hinder her. I thought if we're going to take a swing in a graded stakes race, this was the stakes race to try it in." She adds blinkers after racing without them in her first four starts. The nine rivals facing the D'Amato runners include Lucky Girl (IRE), trained by George Papaprodromou and to be ridden by Joe Bravo from post 11. Lucky Girl won the Jan. 30 Lady of Shamrock Stakes and March 6 China Doll Stakes when trained by Richard Baltas, whose California stable has since been largely dismantled.