Jose D'Angelo

Jose Francisco D'Angelo joins this week's TDN Writers' Room to discuss not only his first, but also his second, Breeders' Cup victory. The Venezuelan trainer earned back-to-back scores on Breeders' Cup Saturday with Shisospicy and Bentornato.

Yes, it's purely hypothetical, but imagine a GI Breeders' Cup Classic without the rabbit, Contrary Thinking (Into Mischief). That's a race Fierceness (City of Light) probably would have won. Yes, he got free in the stretch and had every chance to run down Forever Young (Jpn) (Reel Steel {Jpn}) and Sierra Leone (Gun Runner) but he couldn't get the job done, finishing third, losing by 1 1/2 lengths. But too much had gone wrong for him at that point, and he could not recover. Unlike what happened in the GI...

DEL MAR, CA - As Breeders' Cup hopefuls continue their final preparations in the early morning hours for racing on Friday and Saturday, the Del Mar paddock will transform into an auction ring for the second annual Keeneland Championship Sale on Wednesday evening. Last year, a share in Horse of the Year Flightline (by Tapit) was the headliner when it went for $2.5-million. Once again looking to create a high-energy atmosphere, Keeneland has put together a robust slate of offerings, which include fractional interests in three racehorses currently in-training--two are...

Calumet Farm homebred Gin Gin (Hightail) and Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's Shisospicy (Mitole) turned in works over the Keeneland main track Thursday morning in advance of next weekend's Breeders' Cup World Championships at Del Mar. Returning to the worktab for the first time since narrowly defeating top 3-year-old filly Nitrogen (Medaglia d'Oro) in the GI Juddmonte Spinster Stakes on Oct. 5, Gin Gin had Luis Saez in the irons when covering a half-mile in :49.40 (20/48) (video). Gin Gin, whose sire--a son of Mineshaft--won the short-lived Breeders' Cup Juvenile...

Bentornato (Valiant Minister), runner-up in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, breezed five furlongs in company in a bullet 1:00 (1/24) Saturday morning at Keeneland in preparation for a return trip to Del Mar for this year's race on Nov. 1. He had jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard for the work with Araucano (McKinzie), a 3-year-old maiden. Bentornato finished three lengths clear of his workmate at the wire and lengthened the advantage on the gallop out. "He will have his final work here next week," trainer Jose D'Angelo said of...

Leon King Stable's Bentornato (Valiant Minister) put in a half-mile breeze Saturday ahead of an expected next start in the GI Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Working under regular pilot Irad Ortiz Jr., last year's Sprint runner up went in :50.80. Bentornato will also be a part of the Keeneland Championship Sale held just prior to the Breeders' Cup, with a 25% ownership interest on offer Oct. 29 at Del Mar. Trainer Jose D'Angelo noted that Bentornato's past and future racing schedule will appeal to buyers...

A 25% ownership interest in millionaire Bentornato (Valiant Minister--Her Special Way, by Put It Back), slated to contest the GI Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar, will be offered at the second edition of the Keeneland Championship Sale, to be held in the Del Mar Paddock on Wednesday, Oct. 29, two days before the Breeders' Cup World Championships, according to a Keeneland release Tuesday. "The 25% stake in Bentornato is a unique opportunity for someone to buy into a Breeders' Cup contender and immediately have action on one of...

8th-Churchill Downs, $130,041, Alw (NW2X)/Opt. Clm ($125,000), 9-14, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.85, gd, 4 lengths. GUNS LOADED (c, 3, Gun Runner--Sky My Sky {GSP-Can, GSP-USA, $204,011}, by Bernardini) debuted at the Spa during his juvenile year and overcame a stumble at the start to finish as the runner-up. Shipping to Louisville in mid-November, the colt posted an 88 Beyer and broke his maiden by 2 3/4 lengths, which resulted in him earning a 'TDN Rising Star' badge. Guns Loaded was then seen winning the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park...

Morplay Racing and Qatar Racing's 'TDN Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) faced a couple of niggling questions entering Saturday's GII Music City Stakes at Kentucky Downs. Already accomplished over sharper turf sprint trips, how would she handle the extended 6 1/2-furlong distance of the $2-million contest, one, and two, what sort of lingering hangover might there be from an overseas trip to face the boys in the G1 Commonwealth Cup, when she dropped away tamely to finish in the latter third of that 21-strong field? Well, it took fewer than 75...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. edged Jose D'Angelo to earn leading trainer honors for the 13th consecutive race meeting at Gulfstream Park. The 38-year-old native of Barbados entered Sunday's closing day of the Royal Palm Meet with a one-win lead, 55-54, and clinched the title with 4-5 favorite Drama in the third race, following a victory with Genuine Gomo in the opener. Dandona, a $1.05-million OBS April purchase, gave Joseph his third winner on the day with a victory in the 10th race. Joseph finished with 58 winners and more than $1.9...

Mystik Dan (Goldencents), the 2024 GI Kentucky Derby winner, breezed on the grass for the first time in his career Friday morning, going an easy five furlongs in 1:02 flat over the Oklahoma course with Luis Rivera, Jr. in the saddle. "Really pleased," trainer Ken McPeek said at his Saratoga barn. "I always wanted to try him on the turf, and he looked like he loved it. We're contemplating some options and this is a horse that's done everything we've ever asked him to do. I think he'll relish it;...

Before putting him on a van headed to Saratoga, trainer Jose D'Angelo worked Abraham Gold's Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) on the all-weather Tapeta at Gulfsteam Sunday. Unraced since a trip to Saudi Arabia in late February, the 4-year-old breezed four furlongs in :44.36, fastest of 17 horses, in his second work since finishing 10th the 1351 G2 Turf Sprint Feb. 22 at King Abdulaziz Racecourse. "He was sharp," he said. "He worked pretty good. It was his last workout before going to Saratoga with the ultimate goal to run at Kentucky...