DEL MAR, Calif. - The shadows foretold the outcome. In midstretch of Sunday’s Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar, Gold Phoenix reached the front under jockey Hector Berrios, going past stablemate Masteroffoxhounds, but closely followed by another stablemate in Balnikhov. In the final sixteenth, Gold Phoenix led by a length when Balnikhov began to reduce the margin with an outside rally. Since the race was run in early evening, and the field was racing toward the east, Berrios could measure Balnikhov’s progress via the lengthening shadows. Gold Phoenix had enough of an advantage to secure the win by three-quarters of a length. “I was watching the shadows,” he said. :: Visit the Del Mar Handicapping Store for Past Performances, Clocker Reports, Picks, Betting Strategies, and more. Gold Phoenix ($11) led a sweep of the first four positions for trainer Phil D’Amato followed by Balnikhov (9-1), Masteroffoxhounds (7-1), and Count Again, the 9-5 favorite. The 10-cent D’Amato superfecta, with winning numbers of 2-3-4-9, paid $52.09. “All my horses ran well,” D’Amato said as he left the winner’s circle. “All four had a chance. Gold Phoenix got the jump and proved the best.” Gold Phoenix closed from fifth in a field of nine while racing primarily on the inside. Berrios, who won three races on Sunday, had Gold Phoenix on the rail to the turn when he moved outside of Masteroffoxhounds. “He really responded,” Berrios said of his mount. Gold Phoenix ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:48.62 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 97. Cabo Spirit finished fifth, followed by I’mgonnabesomebody, Handy Dandy, Dicey Mo Chara, and Mackinnon. Masteroffoxhounds set a modest pace of 24.54 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 49.20 for a half-mile, leading by as much as 1 1/2 lengths. Balnikhov, the winner of the Grade 3 San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate Fields in April, closed from eighth on the backstretch to catch the eye in the stretch. Jockey Antonio Fresu said he followed Gold Phoenix by design, but could not reach the front. “He ran huge,” Fresu said of Balnikhov. Gold Phoenix is co-owned by Little Red Feather Racing, Sterling Stable and Marsha Naify. Little Red Feather Racing is a co-owner of Balnikhov. Gold Phoenix, a 5-year-old Irish-bred gelding by Belardo, has won 5 of 14 starts and earned $837,757. The Read was Gold Phoenix’s third career stakes win, preceded by the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap here last September and the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on turf at Santa Anita in March in his 2023 debut. In the spring, Gold Phoenix was fourth in the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf on April 8 and seventh of 11 in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on May 29. Both races were on turf at Santa Anita. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.