BY GULFSTREAM PARK PRESS OFFICE
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Jose D’Angelo figures to be well-represented Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where the up-and-coming trainer is scheduled to saddle Amstrong for a start in the $65,000 Showing Up for 3-year-olds and Florida-bred Reminder for his stakes debut in the $65,000 Armed Forces for 2-year-olds.
Soldi Stable LLC and Ohana Racing LLC’s Amstrong will seek his fourth triumph in as many starts on synthetic in the mile-and-a-sixteenth in the Showing Up. Reminder will strive to do his highly successful family proud in the mile-and-70-yard Armed Forces on the all-weather surface.
“It looks like we could have a good weekend,” D’Angelo said.
Amstrong moved up on the synthetic course to break his maiden by four lengths in his third career start in April before coming right back to capture the Not Surprising by nearly four lengths in June. The son of Tapwrit ran his record on the all-weather surface to three-for-three with a two-and-a-quarter-length score in the Sept. 16 Bear’s Den.
“The last furlong of his races, he’s run so, so good,” D’Angelos said.
Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard Amstrong for his three wins on synthetic, has the return call and they will depart post four.
Amstrong is the 2-1 morning line favorite and looks to improve on his lifetime record of three wins and two thirds in seven starts with earnings of $130,750.
Ari Gold, who captured the $75,000 Pulpit on turf at Gulfstream in December, is scheduled to make his synthetic debut in the Showing Up and is the 5-2 second choice on the morning line.
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of Medaglia d’Oro prompted the pace before weakening to finish ninth in the Grade 3 Virginia Derby won by Integration on turf at Colonial Downs in his most recent start.
Ari Gold has post seven and will be ridden by Edgard Zayas.
Like Oak Plantation’s homebred Souper Blessing, who finished third to winner Love to Shop on the turf in the US$93,428 Toronto Cup last time out, is the third choice in the program at 4-1.
A winner of a first level allowance race going six furlongs on the Presque Isle Downs synthetic main track two starts back on Aug. 2, Souper Blessing has two wins and two thirds with earnings of $58,246.
Trainer Michael Trombetta has given the riding assignment on Souper Blessing to Edwin Gonzalez and they will break from post five.
My Purple Haze Stables’ Smart Strike is slated to seek to turn the tables on Amstrong Saturday after finishing second in the Not Surprising and third in the Bear’s Den.
NBS Stable’s Anamnestic, a disqualified winner of the $60,00 Juvenile for Florida-breds last fall who is coming off a win against first level, $20,000 optional claimers on synthetic; and Love Me Not, the Bear’s Den runner-up; are other prominent contenders.
Reminder is scheduled to face seven other juveniles in the Armed Forces.
After a pair of troubled trips while finishing third in his first two starts, the son of Audible stalked the pace before drawing clear in the stretch to graduate going away by three-and-three-quarter lengths under returning Edgard Zayas.
“He’s training really good,” D’Angelo. “He’s training really beautifully. I think he will be tough in the stake.”
Reminder is out of Mom’s Deputy, whose seven foals to race have all been winners, including $594,000 earning Florida-bred Mom’s On Strike, a multiple graded-stakes winner.
Return to the Nov. 3 issue of Wire to Wire