BY GULFSTEAM PARK PRESS OFFICE
HALLANDALE BEACH, FL—Leon King Stable Corp.’s Bentornato will put an undefeated record on the line next Saturday at Gulfstream Park in a quest to sweep the 2023 FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-old colts and geldings sired by accredited Florida stallions.
The Jose D’Angelo-trained son of Bridlewood Farm stallion Valiant Minister breezed five furlongs in 1:04.80 Saturday morning at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training center in Palm Beach County.
“Bentornato worked so good. Last week was his hard workout. This week, he went good. He started slow and finished the way I wanted,” D’Angelo said. “He’s ready to go.”
Bentornato has three stakes victories on his unblemished four-race resume, including commanding triumphs in the $100,000 Dr. Fager and the $200,000 Affirmed in the Florida Sire Stakes series.
He is out of the Put It Back mare Her Special Way and was bred by Tanma Corp. Bentornato looks to join Smile (1984) Naked Greed (1991), Seacliff (1995), Express Tour (2000), Sir Oscar (2003), Big Drama (2008), Jackson Bend (2009), Fort Loudon (2011), Three Rules (2016) and Awesome Strong (2022) as colts who have swept the Dr. Fager, Affirmed and In Reality divisions of the lucrative series that began as the Florida Stallion Stakes in 1980 at the now shuttered Calder Race Course.
A two-time graduate of Ocala Breeders’ Sales who sold to Champion Equine for $170,000 at the March Sale when consigned by Golden Rock Thoroughbreds, Bentornato has earned $278,830 in his four victories.
Ironhorse Racing Stable LLC and Harlow Stables LLC’s Mattingly, who finished a troubled second in the Affirmed, breezed five furlongs in 1:02.69 at Gulfstream Saturday morning.
