BY GULFSTRAEM PARK PRESS OFFICE (Edited)

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Trainer Jose D’Angelo notched his 500th victory in the U.S. Friday at Gulfstream Park, where the former Venezuelan champion conditioner saddled Fire On the Wire for a three-and-a-quarter-length triumph in Race 1.

Fire On the Wire, who was making her second career start in a $35,000 maiden claiming for 2-year-olds going five furlongs on turf, stalked the pace before making a powerful stretch run under Miguel Vasquez to put her 35-year-old up-and-coming trainer in the winner’s circle.

Fire On the Wire paid $4 to win.

 

“Winning 500 means a lot in this beautiful country,” said D’Angelo, who also saddled Goes the Clown ($3.80) to win Friday’s Race 5. “But we have to keep working and go for more every day.”

D’Angelo scored U.S. Win Nos. 500 and 501 just a week before seeking his first victory in Great Britain with Shisospicy in next Friday’s Group 3 Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot. The 3-year-old daughter of Mitole won her debut at Gulfstream last fall before going on to win the $293,850 FanDuel Limestone at Keeneland on April 11 and the Mamzelle (G3) at Churchill Downs on May 10 in her two most recent starts.

“I’m so exited because I think the filly has a good chance to win the race,” said D’Angelo, who saddled Florida-bred Gabaldon for a runner-up finish in the £111,146 (US$139,000) Windsor Castle at Royal Ascot last year following his debut victory in the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile at Gulfstream.

 

D’Angelo, who currently tops the Royal Palm Meet standings, ventured to Gulfstream from Venezuela in 2019, following his father Francisco ‘Kiko’ D’Angelo, a multiple Venezuelan training champion who arrived in South Florida in 2015. The younger D’Angelo attracted almost immediate attention with Jesus’ Team, a former claimer who finished third in the 2020 Preakness (G1) and second behind Knicks Go in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Mile (G1) before finishing second behind Knicks Go again in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream.

He also trains Florida-bred millionaire and graded stakes-winner Bentornato, winner of the Grade 2 Gallant Bob at Parx and second in the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint (G1) at Del Mar.

 

Return to the June 14 issue of Wire to Wire