King of Gosford (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) sailed to the lead in the shadow of the wire to win the GI Shoemaker Mile Stakes at Santa Anita Monday. The 4-1 shot settled well off the pace in a strung-out field as longshot Goliad (War Front) opened a clear advantage through fractions of :22.92 and :45.68. King of Gosford began picking off foes on the far turn, but was still some eight lengths back approaching the stretch where Cabo Spirit (Pioneerof the Nile) was first to overtake the tiring pacesetter. King of Gosford tipped to the center of the course at the top of the lane and, while Cabo Spirit was grimly holding off Mi Hermano Ramon (Creative Cause), the chestnut colt flew past both to earn his first Grade I victory.
King of Gosford has won six of 11 starts–and hit the board in all but one of those outings–since relocating to the U.S. last spring. Third in the GII Eddie D Stakes last September and second in the GI Hollywood Derby in November, he earned his first graded tally in the Dec. 26 GII Mathis Brothers Mile. In his 2025 debut, the colt was runner-up behind Cabo Spirit in the Apr. 20 GIII American Stakes.
Pedigree Notes:
King of Gosford's dam Miss Sugars has her own stakes win over the Santa Anita lawn, having won the Blue Norther Stakes in 2016. The mare has a 2-year-old filly by Kameko and sold carrying that foal for 13,000gns at the 2022 Tattersalls November sale. In foal to Mohaather (GB), she sold for 20,000gns at that same sale in 2023. Her Kameko filly sold for 32,000gns as a weanling at Tattersalls that December as well.
David Redvers had purchased the mare for $260,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.
The winner's third dam, graded winner Hoh Dear, produced the dam of Grade I winners Wigmore Hall (Ire) and Ocean Road (Ire).
One of 46 graded/group winners for his sire Zoustar, King of Gosford is the 11th top-level victor for the stallion and his second in the U.S. following the success of Starlust (GB) in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.
Monday, Santa Anita
SHOEMAKER MILE S.-GI, $302,000, Santa Anita, 5-26, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:33.52, fm.
1–KING OF GOSFORD (GB), 124, c, 4, by Zoustar (Aus)
1st Dam: Miss Sugars (GB) (SW, $105,102), by Harbour Watch (Ire)
2nd Dam: Three Sugars (Aus), by Starcraft (NZ)
3rd Dam: Hoh Dear (Ire), by Sri Pekan
1ST GRADE I WIN. (32,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Benowitz Family Trust, CYBT, Saul Gevertz, Michael Nentwig & Jeremy Peskoff; B-The Miss Sugars Partnership (GB); T-Philip D'Amato; J-Flavien Prat. $180,000. Lifetime Record: 17-7-3-2, $719,692. Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Mi Hermano Ramon, 124, g, 5, Creative Cause–Sassy Suances, by Suances (GB). 1ST G1 BLACK-TYPE. O-Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners & Red Baron's Barn LLC; B-Red Baron's Barn (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $60,000.
3–Cabo Spirit, 124, g, 6, Pioneerof the Nile–Fancy Day (Ire), by Shamardal. ($145,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $575,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Kretz Racing LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-George Papaprodromou. $36,000.
Margins: NK, NO, 1. Odds: 4.40, 3.30, 30.40.
Also Ran: Formidable Man, Atitlan, Seal Team (GB), Zio Jo, Goliad, Seminole Chief. Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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