Soul of Angel tunes up for Breeders’ Cup with sharp three-furlong drill
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HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Soul of an Angel, among the leading contenders for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, breezed three furlongs in 35.40 seconds before galloping out a half-mile in 48.20 over a fast track Tuesday at Gulfstream Park in tandem with stablemate General Ledger.
The work was the first for Soul of an Angel since she earned an automatic berth into the Filly and Mare Sprint by virtue of her impressive 3 1/4-length victory over odds-on Beth’s Dream in the Grade 3 Princess Rooney Stakes here Sept. 21.
“We were planning to work her last Sunday but had to put it off a couple of days because of the weather,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said of Soul of an Angel’s penultimate breeze for the Breeders’ Cup. “But it really won’t make much of a difference with our plans. She’s scheduled to leave here on the 23rd or 24th and will have one more work locally before she goes.”
Joseph said Soul of an Angel actually did quite a bit more this morning than the final clocking might indicate.
“She went three-eighths but galloped out very strong. I had her out five-eighths in a minute and change, and she was just cruising around there in company,” Joseph added. “She’s very fit, in good form, and we don’t generally do too much with her in between races. She’ll probably go a half-mile next week, but not do anything real crazy.”
Joseph still has not firmed up a rider for Soul of an Angel in the Filly and Mare Sprint. Irad Ortiz Jr. was aboard for three straight races this summer, including her third-place finish in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign. Drayden Van Dyke guided her to victory in the Princess Rooney.
“I believe Irad is committed to Cherie DeVaux’s filly [Vahva] in the race, so nothing official yet. I still have to talk it over with the owner first,” Joseph said.
At Palm Meadows on Tuesday morning, two other South Florida-based Breeders' Cup contenders turned in final works prior to shipping to Del Mar. Bentornato zipped a bullet half-mile in 46.90 for the Sprint, and Howard Wolowitz completed the same distance in 47.65 in preparation for the Turf Sprint. Both 3-year-olds are trained by Jose D'Angelo.
Joseph also sent out 2023 Breeders’ Cup Classic winner White Abarrio to work a bullet three-eighths in 35.03 here Tuesday. White Abarrio returned to Joseph’s barn this summer and after getting some time off shortly thereafter resumed serious training at Saratoga before shipping locally earlier this month.
“That was his first real three-eighths work this morning,” Joseph said. “He had a couple of slow ones from the quarter pole before leaving Saratoga. He came back to us with a good foundation under him, went in good order over a pretty fast track this morning, and continues to head in the right direction.”
Joseph said the current goals for White Abarrio are the Pegasus World Cup Invitational here in January and then a return to the rich Saudi Cup later next winter.
“He could run once, maybe twice here before the Pegasus, that is still to be determined,” Joseph said. “Getting back to the Saudi Cup is a main goal because of the ownership connections.”
Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud purchased an interest in White Abarrio from C Two Racing Stable prior to his disappointing 10th-place finish in the this year’s Saudi Cup.
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