Be Thankful steps up off claim for D'Angelo

When Be Thankful was entered in a $35,000 claiming race last time out at Gulfstream Park, trainer Jose D’Angelo and owner Carlo D’Amato were quick to seize the opportunity. It was the first time the 3-year-old filly had been entered for a tag since her debut in March, and after a 7 1/4-length victory the day they claimed her, D’Angelo doesn’t plan on losing her any time soon.

“We claimed this filly some weeks ago and she’s running good,” D’Angelo said. “She’s pretty fast, and that’s what we like from her.”

Be Thankful will be one to watch in the seventh race at Gulfstream on Friday, a starter allowance. The 5 1/2-furlong synthetic sprint should suit her well, as she has not finished out of the money in four starts on the Tapeta.

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“I really like the way that the filly ran,” D’Angelo said of her win last time out. “I also think she can be better on synthetic. They changed this race to synthetic, and that fits her comfortably.”

By stepping back up in company after her commanding gate-to-wire victory last month, Be Thankful will get the chance to settle scores with several familiar rivals.

In a statebred allowance on synthetic in July, Be Thankful finished second, three-quarters of a length behind Travel Happy, a 4-year-old trained by Gary Jackson. Though Travel Happy spent most of her summer on the turf, she has earned all four of her career victories on Tapeta and will return to the surface in a rematch with Be Thankful on Friday.

After that hard-fought defeat to Travel Happy, trainer Beau Chapman switched Be Thankful to the turf for an allowance in August, where she finished fifth. The runner-up that day was Free to Roam, who is also entered on Friday. The rematch between the two will come on Be Thankful’s preferred surface, but there’s reason to believe Free to Roam will adjust well.

Under trainer Steve Klesaris, the 5-year-old mare recently improved in a stint on turf, but she also won her last start on synthetic in May and has not finished worse than second in six starts this year.

Though he has one of the major contenders in the wide-open field of eight, D’Angelo also entered last-out maiden winner Bubbles Up. The 3-year-old filly won a $12,500 maiden claiming race by 3 1/4 lengths last time out, and the trainer said that she had a chance to do some good against winners despite landing in a tougher spot.

Plagne Champagne will make her 4-year-old debut in this race for trainer Jack Sisterson. After starting out for Tom Amoss in Kentucky, the filly ran three times for Sisterson late last year and showed an affinity for the Tapeta. With two wins on the surface, she could be live despite coming off a 10-month layoff.

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