February 12, 2024
TORONTO — By Matthew Lomon
D’Angelo Knows
If Bo knows baseball, football, etc., then trainer Joseph D’Angelo knows Thoroughbred racing.
Coming off a career year in 2023, D’Angelo’s seventh professional season got off to a rocking start this past Saturday at Gulfstream.
His decision to enter No More Time (3-1) in the $200,000 Sam F. Davis (G2T) instead of last weekend’s Holy Bull (G3) paid dividends, as the 3-year-old colt delivered D’Angelo his first ever graded stakes score.
Despite the climb in competition from Grade 3 to Grade 2, No More Time handled a weighty field of 12 with ease, leading throughout.
The instinctual play by D’Angelo resulted in a return of $8.60 on a $2 win bet.
They’ll Take It
It wasn’t exactly the best performance, but Endlessly is back on track after a dismal showing last time out. The 3-year-old colt rebounded from an eighth in last November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T) with a 1 ¼-length victory in Saturday’s El Camino Real Derby at Golden Gate.
Rallying from sixth at the three-quarter mark to second in the stretch before sliding past Tapalo to claim the $100,000 contest, Endlessly needed more punch than his 3-5 closing line odds may have suggested.
That said, a win’s a win and the Umberto Rispoli mount needed one any way he could get it.
Now past the BC Juvenile blemish, Endlessly is 4-0-0 through five starts with two graded wins (Grade 3 Zuma Beach and Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf).
Saturday’s effort paid a modest $3.40.
Pace the Field
Missed the Cut (6-5) was right on par in the $100,000 San Marcos (G3T) at Santa Anita on Saturday afternoon.
Pitted against Planetario (BRZ) for the stretch run and beyond, the 5-year-old ended up pulling away from the Brazilian-bred challenger late to take home his second career graded triumph by 1 ¼-lengths.
The John Sadler charge was able to reverse the fortunes from his last run at Santa Anita, December’s San Gabriel (G2T), where he finished second by 1 ¼-lengths to foe Easter (FR).
Sitting at 6-0-2 through 14 career starts, Missed the Cut’s latest winning endeavor paid $4.40.
And She’s Off
Running 1-2 the whole way in Saturday’s $100,000 Las Virgenes (G3) at Santa Anita, even-money choice Kinza and 6-5 rival Kopion more than lived up to their high billings. It was Kinza, however, getting the last laugh.
Making just her second career start, the 3-year-old filly led the entire way, fending off Kopion in the late stretch run.
Delivering a performance well beyond her years, Kinza validated the excitement those around the industry share about her great potential.
The first of what appears to be many graded stakes triumphs for Kinza paid $4.
Not So Silent
Stone Silent was anything but in a loud 2 ¼-length Ladies’ Turf Sprint Stakes win at Gulfstream on Sunday afternoon.
Seven other competitors proved to be no match for the 4-year-old filly, who held firm before pulling away with more than enough track left for a clear score. The $100,000 affair marks the second consecutive stakes win for Stone Silent, who captured the Abundantia on New Year’s Eve.
The Brian Lynch disciple has seemingly found her form in the last three months after being held out of the winner’s circle in four starts leading up to the Abundantia.
Sunday’s triumph returned $4 for the even-money choice.
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