BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-bred Sabatini and jockey Sofia Vives of Ocala have been labeled the 2-1 morning line favorites for Saturday’s CA$100,000 Ruling Angel presented by Ketel One at Woodbine. They will take on five other 3-year-old fillies going seven furlongs on the all-weather main track.
Owned by NK Racing and LNJ Foxwoods, Sabatini burst onto the Woodbine scene in her second career start on April 27 when she and Vives won the CA$128,250 Star Shoot at 13-1. Sabatini topped a Florida-bred exacta in the Star Shoot, defeating Mystic Lake by two-and-a-quarter lengths after six furlongs. Mystic Lake came back Friday to dominate the Grade 3 Miss Preakness at Pimlico, winning by four-and-a-half lengths.
Vives, who was presented a Sovereign Award in April as Canada’s champion apprentice jockey, will ride Sabatine again Saturday from post two.
A troubled third in her debut at Turfway Park in March, Sabatini has earned $57,888 in her two starts for trainer Josie Carroll. She is by Uncle Mo out of Gabriellestoblame, by Blame and was bred in Florida by Bridlewood Farm.
Sabatini was a $650,000 purchase by bloodstock agent Alex Solis Jr. and Jason Litt at last year’s Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale where she was selected out of Courtney Roberts and Joe Pickerrell’s Pick View consignment based in Ocala.
Carroll has also entered A Little Frisky, a three-quarters of a length winner of the CA$140,250 Glorious Song going seven furlongs at Woodbine in October.
Like her stablemate, A Little Frisky outlasted runner-up Mystic Lake in her stakes victory while also defeating last year’s Sovereighn Award-winning champion 2-year-old filly Witwatersrand, who was third.
Witwatersrand is the 7-2 third choice in the Ruling Angel.
A Little Frisky is owned by Mark Dodson and has earned $78,858 in two starts. She was second on debut in maiden special weight for fillies at Woodbine in October.
Kazushi Kimura has the riding assignment on the daughter of Army Mule from post three.
Witwatersrand has yet to duplicate her success of 2023 in two starts this year for dual Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse of Ocala.
A winner of the Grade 3 Mazarine at Woodbine in November, Witwatersrand was sixth in the Grade 3 Forward Gal won by Florida-bred R Harper Rose at Gulfstream on Feb 3 and 11th in the Grade 3 Florida Oaks taken by Waskesiu on the Tampa Bay Downs turf on March 9.
Witwatersrand and two wins with a third in five starts with earnings of $108,281.
The daughter of Connect will be ridden by Patrick Husbands from post six.
Other fillies entered for the Ruling Angel are Do It Divi and jockey Luis Contreras, C C Royal will be ridden by Sahin Civaci and Rafael Hernandez rides Rosa.
