D’Amato Duo Pointed Toward Gamely Stakes
Stablemates Public Assembly and Sun Of Hill , the one-two finishers in the April 26 Royal Heroine Stakes (G3T), were both in good order and enjoying a leisurely morning along trainer Phil D’Amato’s shedrow April 27.
“They both came out of the race great,” D’Amato reported.
Public Assembly, who was making her stakes debut, won the Royal Heroine by 1 3/4 lengths over Sun Of Hill, who was compromised at the start when hopping out of the gate. Public Assembly, piloted by Antonio Fresu, had also never raced at a distance as short as a mile. In her first start for D’Amato after previously being based in the east with trainer Chad Brown, Public Assembly won an allowance going 1 1/4 miles on turf March 30 at Santa Anita Park.
“It’s nice to know she’s effective at a mile all the way up to a mile and a quarter,” D’Amato said. “I was impressed with how she did it. How comfortable she was traveling the whole way. Antonio thought he had a lot of horse late.”
As for Sun Of Hill, her poor break caused her to lose contact with the field. At the quarter pole, she had just one horse beat in a field of 11. But Sun Of Hill then uncorked a furious rally under Tiago Pereira to earn her first United States graded stakes placing.
Sun Of Hill was bred in Brazil, where as a 3-year-old in 2023 she won a group 1. She made her first U.S. start last July at Del Mar. In her only other graded stakes try in five U.S. starts, she finished fourth on dirt in the Bayakoa (G3) in November at Del Mar.
“She ran great. She just hopped out of the gate and it cost her a few lengths,” D’Amato said. “She was a grade 1 winner in South America and those South American horses, it takes them a long time to acclimate. But the good ones, once they do, they show they can compete in graded stakes here. It’s nice to see her finally come around and be of that quality.”
The Royal Heroine serves as a lead-in to the Gamely Stakes (G1T) at 1 1/8 miles on May 26 at Santa Anita. D’Amato said “it’s a good possibility as of now” that both Public Assembly and Sun Of Hill go there next.
Public Assembly is a 4-year-old filly by More Than Ready . After making her first four starts for Brown, which included a maiden win at Kentucky Downs, she was entered in last year’s Keeneland November horses of racing age sale. She was purchased for $225,000 by owners Abbondanza Racing and Medallion Racing and sent west to D’Amato.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
