D'Angelo tries blinkers to give Anatomy more focus
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Jose D’Angelo, who has assembled one of the most potent stables in South Florida, led by the area’s top juvenile, the undefeated Bentornato, will send out key players in a pair of $51,000 optional-claiming and allowance races that highlight Friday’s nine-race program at Gulfstream Park.
Anatomy, whose résumé includes a second-place finish behind last Saturday’s Grade 3 Princess Rooney winner Three Witches going seven furlongs, will face nine other older fillies and mares in the afternoon’s eighth race, carded at 5 1/2 furlongs on the Tapeta course. Anatomy was easily second best behind Three Witches stretching to seven furlongs for the first time Aug. 27 while also finishing well in front of third finisher Adios Baby, who further flattered the effort by returning to prove clearly best against the same kind in her subsequent outing.
D’Angelo opted to try Anatomy over the Tapeta course in her next start. The versatile filly again finished second behind the late-running Fawning after doing all the dirty work forcing and contesting the pace from the outset. He will make another change, putting blinkers on Anatomy for the first time Friday.
“She’s trained beautifully with blinkers in the morning. I think they should keep her more focused,” D’Angelo said. “Obviously, I don’t like the inside post for her in this race and I don’t really want to see her on the lead. I’d love her to be second or third and make one move, but I have a lot of confidence in her coming into this race.”
There is no shortage of speed signed on for the co-feature, the majority of which comes from the barn of trainer Armando Sanchez. He sends out the trio of Ornela, Mistica Traviesa, and Soy Una Dama, the last perhaps a bit of a sleeper coming off a couple of very sharp works over the Tapeta strip prepping for the race.
Call Me Spicy will bring a three-race winning streak into the race while attempting to return quick dividends for her new connections. She was claimed for $50,000 out of an easy 2 1/4-length victory for which she was awarded a career-best 84 Beyer Speed Figure in her most recent try.
One race earlier, D’Angelo will send out the duo of Escape Room and Miss Sayely to go a mile and 70 yards along with six other 2-year-old fillies over the Tapeta course.
Escape Room has been freshened since finishing a disappointing fourth as the odds-on favorite going five furlongs against similarly conditioned company July 29. Miss Sayely is coming off an 11-length maiden victory against statebreds over the main track and will be making both her Tapeta and two-turn debut Friday.
“Escape Room lost some weight after her last race, so I gave her some time off and she’s ready to go,” D’Angelo said. “She has a big, long stride, and I think she’ll be more comfortable around two turns. Miss Sayely has never raced on Tapeta, but I shipped her down to work over the course during the summer and she handled it very well.”
Miss Sayely is one of five last-out maiden winners in the lineup along with Refugiada, Alcohol, Madame Mischief, and Cat One, who ships locally off a 2 3/4-length victory on grass at Horseshoe Indianapolis and will be the first starter locally for trainer Riley Mott.
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