2025 Eddie Read Stakes Preview

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The countdown is on for this year’s Eddie Read Stakes at Del Mar Racetrack. This Grade II Thoroughbred race will feature seasoned runners and promising three-year-olds all aiming for the $250,000 prize. 

Early in July, we started to see which contenders are likely to enter the field. Here are three horses already standing out as early underdogs.

1. Formidable Man

Formidable Man, a 4-year-old colt bred in Kentucky by Town & Country Horse Farms, has quietly built an impressive resume heading into the 2025 Eddie Read Stakes. Sired by City of Light out of Fanticola (by Silent Name), he has been trained by Michael McCarthy and races for William and Suzanne Warren.

He first caught attention by winning his career debut in a Del Mar maiden race as a juvenile in September 2023. Although he ran sixth in the Grade 3 Zuma Beach Stakes that fall, he improved rapidly as a 3-year-old. In 2024, he notched an allowance win at Santa Anita before finishing second in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs. 

That summer, he returned to Del Mar to win the Caesar’s Sportsbook Oceanside Stakes on opening day and followed up with a determined victory in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles.

Formidable Man closed out his 3-year-old season with a career-best performance in the Grade 1 Hollywood Derby, where he stalked the pace and surged late to win by three-quarters of a length at 5-1 odds. He returned in March 2025 to capture another Grade 1, the Frank E. Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita, rallying to defeat a quality field by half a length.

He has shown versatility, winning from a mile up to nine furlongs, and proven he can handle Del Mar’s turf. With multiple graded stakes victories and a pattern of steady improvement, Formidable Man could be overlooked in a deep field but has the credentials to surprise. For anyone narrowing down Eddie Read Stakes picks, he’s the kind of underdog with legitimate upside and form that demands a closer look.

2. Balnikhov

Another underdog worth considering for the 2025 Eddie Read Stakes is Balnikhov, a 6-year-old gelding with a proven record of deep-closing runs. 

Bred in Ireland by T. de La Heronnierre & Gestut Zur Kuste AG, he is sired by Adaay out of Leeward, by First Defence. Trained by Phil D’Amato and campaigned by Little Red Feather Racing and partners, Balnikhov has consistently shown the ability to finish strong against quality company.

He began his career in France, winning his debut on synthetic footing in December 2021. After shipping to Southern California, he nearly took the Singletary Stakes at Santa Anita in his U.S. debut, missing by a nose. 

Although he was second in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs and fourth in the Cinema Stakes, he soon broke through with an impressive last-to-first rally in the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar.

Balnikhov kept building his résumé with a Grade 3 victory in the Bryan Station Stakes at Keeneland, again coming from well off the pace. In 2023, he captured the San Francisco Mile at Golden Gate with another dramatic finish. His most notable performance as a 5-year-old came when he won the Grade 3 Dinner Party Stakes on Preakness Day, closing from the back to draw clear by 1 1/2 lengths.

With multiple graded stakes wins and a reliable late kick, Balnikhov has shown he can adapt to different courses and conditions. His ability to produce a powerful stretch run makes him a serious contender to outperform expectations. 

For bettors looking for a runner who can pick off rivals late, Balnikhov is an underdog with the experience and turn of foot to surprise the field at Del Mar.

3. Gold Phoenix

Gold Phoenix is set to return to Del Mar looking to add another strong performance to an already deep record. This 7-year-old gelding has proven over and over that he thrives on Southern California turf, especially when the distances stretch out and the pace sets up for a late kick.

Bred in Ireland by Mighty Universe Ltd., he’s a son of Belardo out of Magnifica, a mare from a family that produced multiple Group winners. After an all-weather debut win overseas, he transitioned to Phil D’Amato’s barn and quickly established himself as a stakes-caliber horse. His early U.S. races showed promise, with a near-miss in the Charles Whittingham and consistent placings before he broke through with a head victory in the 2022 Del Mar Handicap. That win earned him a spot in the Breeders’ Cup Turf, where he faced elite competition but finished tenth.

The setback didn’t stall his progress. Gold Phoenix came back as a 5-year-old and showed more polish, delivering a strong stretch run to win the Grade 1 Frank E. Kilroe Mile in March 2023. 

Later that summer, he captured the Eddie Read Stakes by three-quarters of a length, proving he could handle the shorter nine-furlong distance just as effectively. That Del Mar meet also brought his second consecutive Del Mar Handicap, where he circled the field with a big late move to win by over a length.

One factor that makes him dangerous in any field is his tactical flexibility. He’s comfortable settling mid-pack or dropping farther back if the pace is hot, then producing a sustained drive through the stretch. Even when he faced traffic trouble in last year’s Eddie Read and finished seventh, he rebounded in his next start to secure another graded win.

Gold Phoenix returned as a 6-year-old in 2024 and continued to add to his record, winning the Charles Whittingham Stakes and capturing the Del Mar Handicap for the third year in a row. He enters this season with multiple Grade 2 wins at Del Mar and the type of proven form that rarely comes with much fanfare.

While his name doesn’t always top the headlines, his consistency, experience, and affinity for Del Mar make him an underdog capable of upsetting more hyped contenders in the Eddie Read Stakes.

Where the Value Lies in 2025

With countless events filling the American racing calendar, the Eddie Read Stakes has earned its place as one of the most anticipated since it began in 1974. Like every major race, it blends proven champions with rising talents and overlooked contenders. This year, all eyes will be on whether these underdogs can step up and rewrite the script.