BY BROCK SHERIDAN

TAG Stables’ Spirited Boss, third last out in the $175,000 Soaring Softly at Saratoga Race Course, remains at the Spa with trainer Jose D’Angelo for Friday’s Grade 3 Coronation Cup. The Florida-bred stakes winner is one of ten 3-year-old fillies scheduled for the $175,000 Coronation Cup to be run at five-and-a-half furlongs on the grass.

D’Angelo will also saddle Cloe, the second choice on the morning line at 5-2, for the Coronation Cup.

Although Spirited Boss finished nearly seven lengths behind winner Saturday Flirt and three lengths shy of runner-up Cloe in the Soaring Softly, a closer look shows a better performance that day—in a race taken off the turf and was her first start on dirt. A filly who has run her best races on or near the lead, Spirited Boss got off to a slow start and was last, more than nine lengths back heading into the turn of the five-and-a-half-furlong contest. She still managed to rally in the lane and get up for third.

Spirited Boss is a winner of half of her six career starts with a second and two thirds with first five races at Gulfstream Park.

She was third on synthetic in her only start as a 2-year-old in December then immediately redeemed on Jan. 15 to win a maiden special weight for state-bred fillies by more than five lengths. That came while leading from start to finish over five-and-a-half furlongs on the all-weather course. She next won a first condition allowance for state-bred fillies going a mile-and-70-yards on the all-weather course. That day she pressed for the lead through the first quarter before taking the over in the first half-mile to win by nearly four lengths. 

 

She made her turf debut going seven-and-a-half furlongs in the $158,000 Sanibel Island, winning by half-length then finished second to Starship Impulsive in the $80,000 Honey Ryder going a mile on the grass.

 

An earner of $199,430, Spirited Boss is by Street Boss out of the unraced Stormy Atlantic mare Spirited Storm and was bred in Florida by Gary Randoph’s Tag Stables based in Richmond, Tx. 

Spirited Boss is 6-1 on the morning line and Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez returns to ride from post five. 

She attempts to become the third Florida-bred winner of the Coronation Cup, joining 2018 winner Broadway Run and Jewel of a Cat in 2013.

Prior to the Soaring Softly, D’Angelo had sent Cloe to Santa Anita for the Grade 3 Senorita on April 27 where she was third, but just a more than a length off winner Jungle Peace.

Like her stablemate, Cloe likes to be on or near the front as she won the $100,000 Melody of Colors in wire-to-wire fashion going five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf in March.

Cloe is by Tiz the Law out of Nuhood, by Smart Strike and has won two of five career starts with a second and a third. She has banked $154,140 for owner Lugamo Racing Stable LLC.

Cloe has post three and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.

Trainer Miguel Clement has Make Haste (GB) ready for her first start since winning a first condition $75,000 optional claiming going five furlongs on the turf at Gulfstream in April. That was her second start in the United States after debuting with a fourth-place finish in Cloe’s Melody of Colors.

In five starts in Europe, Make Haste won her first race at Naas in Ireland in May of last year and finished second to Miss Lamai (Ire) in the US$54,100 Irish EBF Marwell Stakes at Naas in July of last year.

Owned by Antony Beck’s Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, Make Haste is by Blue Point (Ire) out of Quick March (GB), by Lawman (Fr). She has $54,701 in earnings from two wins and a second in seven starts.

Make Haste is the 2-1 morning line favorite and Flavien Prat will guide her from the inside post one.

Rounding out the field are Italian Soiree with Luis Saez named to ride, Laurice with Junior Alvarado in the irons, Dylan Davis takes the call on Abientot and Gata Brazil with Manny Franco up. Entered under main track only stipulations are You’ll Be Back, Twirling Beauty and Flat Out Time.

Return to the July 9 issue of Wire to Wire