BY KENTUCKY DOWNS PRESS OFFICE (Edited)
FRANKLIN, KY—Trainer Jose D’Angelo had a thrilling day last year at Kentucky Downs when his talented turf sprinter Shisospicy defeated stablemate Cloe by three lengths in the Grade 2 Music City.
He’ll be back for what he hopes are more prosperous times at the Franklin turf course when he saddles graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Spirited Boss, a Tag Stables homebred, in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint for 12 fillies and amres going six-and-a-half furlongs.
A victory in the Grade 1 Ladies Turf Sprint would also earn Tag Stables as breeder, a $7,500 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association. Capped at $1 million in 2026, the Export Incentive program pays a bonus to breeders of winners of maiden special weight, allowance, allowance optional claiming and stake races run outside of the Sunshine State.
Spirited Boss, a 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss has shown an affinity for the six-and-a-half-panel distance, running a narrow second to fellow Florida-bred Queen Maxima in the Listed Mizdirection over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course on May 16 on the heels of a victory in the Grade 3 Monrovia presented by Don Julio over the same track on April 4. Both efforts garnered career-high 93 Beyer Speed Figures.
A winner of her first three starts during her 3-year-old season, which included a win in the Listed Sanibel Island at Gulfstream Park, Spirited Boss was initially under consideration for last year’s Music City.
“My plan last year was to run her with Shispspicy and Cloe, but she needed some time and we gave her all the time she needed,” D’Angelo said. “She came back with a very good performance at Tampa. The distance is her ideal distance. She’s never run at Kentucky Downs, but I’m confident that she’ll take to it.”
Spirited Boss is out of Spirited Storm, by Stormy Atlantic. She has won five of 11 career starts with two seconds and two thirds with earnings of $321,750.
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has piloted Spirited Boss in her last two starts and will ship in to ride once more from post 10. They are 20-1 on the morning line.
The Richard Baltas-trained Ag Bullet returns to defend her title in the Ladies Turf Sprint after winning by three-quarters of a length last year. After the Ladies Turf Sprint, she returned to her base into Southern California where she finished second to Shisospicy in the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (G1) at six-and-a-half furlongs on Nov. 1 and was then third in the Grade 1 Matriarch going a mile on November 30, both on the Del Mar grass.
In one race this year, Ag Bullet was second to Florida-bred Reef Runner in the five-and-a-half-furlong Jaipur (G1) on the turf at Saratoga Race Course on June 6.
The 6-year-old Ag Bullet has banked $3,077,228 for owner Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran from eight wins, two seconds and three thirds from 18 starts.
The daughter of Twirling Candy out of Noble Grey, by Forestry will be ridden by Florent Geroux from post four.
Rounding out the field for the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf Sprint are Movin’ On Up with Cristian Torres taking the riding assignment, Love Cervere will team with jockey Luan Machado, Julian Leparoux rides Zeitlos, Time to Dazzle will have Dylan Davis in the irons, Francisco Arrieta takes the call on Jody’s Pride, Cloe will have Ben Curtis aboard, Brian Hernandez will guide Sayidah Dariyan (Ire), In Our Time with Micah Husbands in the saddle, Adam Beschizza rides Vina Arana (Ire) and Axel Concepcion has the assignment on Buttercream Babe.
— Brock Sheridan contributed to this story
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