D'Amato Brings Two Contenders to Shoemaker Mile

Almendares (GB) and King of Gosford (GB) have the credentials to give trainer Phil D'Amato his sixth win in the Shoemaker Mile (G1T). Almendares is coming off a neck victory in the American Stakes (G3T), while King of Gosford won the 2025 Shoemaker. As befits a grass race, the Shoemaker, part of Santa Anita's May 25 Memorial Day card, has attracted a field of veterans. The nine-horse field sports one 7-year-old, four 6-year-olds, three 5-year-olds, and one 4-year-old "youngster." Almendares is 6 and King of Gosford is 5. "Almendares is steadily getting better and better," D'Amato said. "I think since the beginning of the year he's proved we can ship him around against the best and compete. I think we've figured out his best style of running, just kind of utilize his big late kick. It proved very effective last time." Winner of the 2025 Wickerr Stakes, Almendares was capturing his first graded stakes in the April 18 American. But he gave a good account of himself in his two prior races this year: thirds in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1T) and Frank E. Kilroe Mile (G2T). Antonio Fresu was aboard in the Wickerr and American and returns from post 5 here. Following last year's Shoemaker, King of Gosford ran sixth in the Aug. 30 Del Mar Mile (G2T) and was subsequently away from the races for 7 1/2 months. "Out of the Del Mar Mile he got cut up behind in the race," said D'Amato. "The way the cuts were on his hind legs, the only way for them to heal properly was just to give him time off. So we gave him plenty of time off, and we're trying to follow the same pattern that proved successful last year." In both 2025 and 2026, King of Gosford returned from layoffs in the American Stakes, running second in 2025 and fourth in 2026. Kazushi Kimura will pilot him in the Shoemaker from post 3. "He was a little bit rank early but didn't disgrace himself," D'Amato said. "We're coming back here in the Shoemaker, second off the bench, a much fitter horse and hopefully ready to win." D'Amato won his first Shoemaker with Obviously (Ire) in 2014. In between that and King of Gosford last year, the trainer took the race with Midnight Storm in 2016, Hunt (Ire) in 2018, and Count Again in 2022. Five-year-old Formidable Man, trained by Michael McCarthy, has not started since the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T), in which he finished second to eventual champion turf male Notable Speech (GB). Fourth in last year's Shoemaker, Formidable Man then reeled off back-to-back victories in the Eddie Read Stakes (G2T) and Del Mar Mile. Undefeated at Del Mar prior to the Breeders' Cup, he can win at Santa Anita, as he proved when taking the 2025 Kilroe Mile, then a grade 1 event. Flavien Prat will ride Formidable Man from post 2. It will be only the second time Prat has ridden him, following Formidable Man's racing debut, which came as a 2-year-old in 2023 at Del Mar. They won a maiden race by a half-length. The rest of the field consists of El Potente, a graded stakes winner at Santa Anita this year; Genius Jimmy and graded stakes winner Seal Team (GB), second and third in the American; graded stakes winner Mi Hermano Ramon, second in the 2025 Shoemaker; recent $50,000 claim Twirling Point, winner of the 2024 Jersey Derby; and Call Me Cory, the lone 4-year-old, who is making his stakes debut.