D'Angelo sends a pair in Coronation Cup repeat bid

Last year, trainer Jose D’Angelo won the Grade 3 Coronation Cup at Saratoga with Twirling Queen, which capped a four race win streak for that filly. This year, D’Angelo sends out a pair of stakes winners that need to get back on track in Friday’s running of the turf sprint for 3-year-old fillies.

Spirited Boss made three solid starts on Tapeta at Gulfstream to start her career, then switched to the turf for the Sanibel Island going two-turns at 7 1/2 furlongs, and got up to win by a half-length. The Street Boss filly then finished second as the heavy favorite in the Honey Ryder going one mile, followed by a last out try on dirt in the off-turf Soaring Softly at Saratoga. While having never missed the board, Spirited Boss, 6-1 on the morning line, should appreciate the return to turf and going 5 1/2 furlongs. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will be aboard from post 5 and the pair will most likely come from slightly off the pace.

D’Angelo’s other entrant, Cloe, finished second, one spot ahead of Spirited Boss, in the off-turf Soaring Softly. Cloe was favored in that race off the strength of her previous third-place finish in the Grade 3 Senorita at Santa Anita. Cloe’s stakes win came in March in Gulfstream’s Melody Of Colors, skipping away to a front-running score in that five-furlong turf sprint. Cloe was a front-running debut winner sprinting on Tapeta when in the barn of Victor Barboza. She then finished sixth of eight in the Suncoast on dirt at Tampa, with winner La Cara eventually coming back to win the Grade 1 Ashland and Grade 1 Acorn. Cloe was then transferred to D’Angelo, where she hasn’t missed the board in three starts. Cloe is by Tiz the Law, who has quietly proven a solid turf-sprint sire, hitting at 17 percent in turf sprints. Irad Ortiz Jr. retains the mount from post 3 as the 5-2 morning-line second choice and the team will be trying to run the field off their feet.

Make Haste is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for trainer Miguel Clement off a recent allowance victory. Make Haste started her career in Europe, running in five strong races as a juvenile. In August of last year, she ran a close sixth in a listed stakes at York. Magnum Force, runner up in that race, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Sprint in November. In her stateside debut, Make Haste ran fourth in the Melody Of Colors, racing in traffic then mildly kicking home. In her next start, Make Haste was a front-running winner of an April allowance at Gulfstream. Friday, Flavien Prat will be aboard for the first time from the rail.

Laurice was second behind Close in the Melody Of Colors, diving toward the rail with a late run but was no threat to the winner. Since then, the George Weaver trainee has run below form in a couple of tough stakes. Laurice won her debut at Saratoga last August, gets Junior Alvarado aboard Friday, and looks intriguing if near her 12-1 morning-line odds.

Abientot finished ahead of, then behind Laurice in those stakes, and also won her maiden here last year. Trained by Mark Casse, Abientot usually comes with a late run and may need some racing luck. Dylan Davis climbs aboard at 7-2 on the morning line.

Italian Soiree was a pricey purchase in March of last year, going for $600,000 at an OBS sale. Running on dirt for her first two starts, she ran second as the favorite in the Grade 3 Adirondack here last August. The John Terranova trainee then ran a close fourth in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine and then ended her season with a close fifth in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland. After a failed dirt try in the Suncoast, she was fifth in the Memories of Silver at Aqueduct, before a last-out sixth in the Jersey Girl on dirt here in June. With Luis Saez aboard, a return to turf and a cutback may be what she needs to get on track.

Gata Brazil invades from Maryland for trainer Brittany Russell, taking another try at a New York Stakes. After being put up via disqualification in a Laurel allowance, Gata Brazil ran seventh in the Take the A Train at Aqueduct after setting the pace. She then showed a solid turn of foot to win the Stormy Blues at Laurel and gets Manny Franco aboard from the outside post Friday.

You’ll Be Back, Twirling Beauty, and Flat Out Time are entered for the main track only. The Coronation Cup is the lone stakes on Friday’s 10-race card. Post time is 1:10 p.m. Eastern, with the Coronation Cup set for race 7 at 4:35 p.m.

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