King of Gosford (GB)

King of Gosford began his racing career in Ireland, losing four times before winning a handicap on Dundalk Racecourse’s all-weather track. The English-bred Zoustar colt made one more start at Dundalk and then was shipped to the U.S., where he promptly won a six-furlong allowance optional claiming race on turf at Santa Anita Park for new trainer Phil D’Amato.

The chestnut colt followed that auspicious debut up with a victory in his first two stakes appearances, taking the John Shear Stakes by a length and then the Desert Code Stakes by a neck, both held at 6 ½ furlongs on the grass at Santa Anita. He remained in stakes company after that and continued to run well, winning the Let It Ride Stakes going a mile on turf at Del Mar in October and finishing second twice and third once in four other appearances. At the end of Del Mar’s meet, he nearly captured the Grade 1, 1 1/8-mile Hollywood Derby, finishing second by three quarters of a length to Formidable Man.

D'Amato brought King of Gosford back for one final graded stakes try to close out his 3-year-old season, and the colt broke through with a gate-to-wire, one-length score in the Mathis Mile Stakes held on Santa Anita’s Dec. 26 opening-day card. He was reunited with jockey Flavien Prat in the Mathis Mile after Prat had ridden him to wins in his U.S. debut and in the Let It Ride Stakes. The pair’s victory in the Mathis Mile gave Prat a North American record 56 graded stakes wins for the season.

King of Gosford is out of the stakes-placed, winning Harbour Watch mare Miss Sugars and is from the family of multiple Grade 1 winner and $2 million earner Wigmore Hall.