Jan 28, 2024 — Trainer Phil D’Amato kept Newgrange home at Santa Anita Park for the Jan. 27 San Pasqual Stakes (G2) instead of shipping to Florida for the Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), and the strategy is paying off. Newgrange won his second consecutive San Pasqual and is poised for a host of options for his next start, which, if the enthusiastic owners have their way, will be the Dubai World Cup (G1).
“Victor [Espinoza] just did it with tremendous ease,” D’Amato said. “Victor was aboard, and his eyes were lit up when he came back and so were mine. As a trainer, you can’t ask for anything better than that coming into a big race.”