D'Angelo prepares lightly raced Bentornato, Howard Wolowitz for Breeders' Cup
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jose D’Angelo is hoping talent will trump experience when he takes his two recent graded stakes-winning but relatively lightly raced 3-year-olds – Bentornato and Howard Wolowitz – to Del Mar for the 2024 Breeders’ Cup.
Bentornato will enter the Sprint on Nov. 2 with just eight starts on his résumé, five of them victories, including a game neck decision over Sunny Breeze last month at Parx Racing in the Grade 2 Gallant Bob.
Howard Wolowitz will have a mere four races under his belt, including an impressive win in the Grade 1 Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs, when he goes postward earlier that same afternoon in the Turf Sprint.
Both Bentornato and Howard Wolowitz returned to their Palm Meadows headquarters following their most recent graded stakes wins to continue preparations for the Breeders’ Cup. Bentornato worked four furlongs in 48.35 seconds over a wet-fast track on Wednesday. Howard Wolowitz went the same distance in 48.60 three days earlier.
“Bentornato had an easy work but went great,” D’Angelo said Thursday. “He took more time than we’d expected after coming back from Saudi Arabia last winter because he got a splint, but with all that time he came back stronger and better than ever. Obviously, this will be his toughest test facing older horses for the first time, but I think he is going into the race the best he’s ever been.”
Howard Wolowitz joined D’Angelo’s barn after being well-beaten in his debut here last winter before returning to win his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths with a 92 Beyer Speed Figure over the Tapeta track when finally getting back to the races in June. After a troubled fourth-place finish stepping right into stakes company off the maiden win this summer at Saratoga, Howard Wolowitz punched his ticket to the Turf Sprint with a professional, come-from-behind one-length victory in the Franklin-Simpson for which he posted a 97 Beyer Speed Figure.
“This horse has big ability, and although he’s only had four starts, like Bentornato, he’s going into the Breeders’ Cup on top of his game,” D’Angelo said. “And I think he has both the talent and heart to make up for his lack of experience in the Turf Sprint.”
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