D'Angelo to stable stars at Churchill

Jose D’Angelo has run horses at Churchill Downs, but late this summer and into fall – if not beyond – the trainer will stable horses there as well.

D’Angelo, at Kentucky Downs this weekend, said he has stalls for the September racing season that starts Thursday in barn 44, the former longtime home of the late D. Wayne Lukas’s stable. Among his Churchill stock are three prominent runners in recent Kentucky Downs races.

D’Angelo said he’s pointing Howard Wolowitz, second Aug. 30 in the Turf Sprint, his first race since a subpar February showing in Saudi Arabia, toward the Grade 1, $1.25 million Coolmore Turf Mile on Oct. 4 at Keeneland. Howard Wolowitz, blocked through part of the stretch run, finished strongly for a troubled half-length defeat in the 6 1/2-furlong Turf Sprint. Howard Wolowitz has yet to try a distance beyond seven furlongs and has never has raced around two turns, but D’Angelo feels the 4-year-old can stretch to a two-turn mile.

Shisospicy and Cloe, one-two on Saturday in the Music City Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong Kentucky Downs sprint for 3-year-old fillies, also are part of D’Angelo’s Churchill string, though neither is expected to start until the Breeders’ Cup meet at Del Mar.

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Shisospicy was in a class of her own in the Music City, racing prominently from the start but showing great patience and a strong turn of foot for such a fast filly. She drew away to an insurmountable lead in midstretch and cruised home a three-length winner. Shisospicy was making her first start since June and D’Angelo said he’s happy to bring the filly fresh into the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, where she’ll race a five-furlong trip that should suit her.

Cloe has been sprinting all year, and her lone two-turn race came on dirt. D’Angelo wants to stretch her out to one mile on turf in the $300,000 Goldikova Stakes at Del Mar on the Breeders’ Cup undercard.

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