Enjoying a Breakthrough Year, D’Angelo Barn ‘Loaded’ Heading into 2025

[Wandering Eyes]

A leading trainer in his native Venezuela, Jose D'Angelo decided that it was time to “head to the big leagues,” and relocated to South Florida in 2019.

After having GIII Sam F. Davis Stakes winner No More Time (Not This Time) on the GI Kentucky Derby trail this spring, winning his first career Grade I with Howard Wolowitz (Munnings) in the Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson Stakes at Kentucky Downs in September, and recording second-place finishes on the biggest of stages with Gabaldon (Gone Astray) in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot and Bentornato (Valiant Minister) in the GI Breeders' Cup Sprint, D'Angelo has firmly established himself as a major player on these shores just five years later.

D'Angelo's stable of approximately 100 head–currently split between Palm Meadows (85) and Tampa Bay Downs (10)–has posted a record of 752-137-132-103 (18% winning percentage) in 2024 with career-best earnings of $7,325,451 (through Friday, Dec. 20). He trails only trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. on the leaderboard at Gulfstream's Championship Meet after saddling four winners on Friday's card.

“It's been an amazing year, I'm living a dream,” D'Angelo, 34, said.

“All the places that these horses have brought me to in the same year–Ascot, Saudi, Dubai, Del Mar for Breeders' Cup, etc.–and they all ran so so well. You can be a good trainer, but if you don't have the right horses, you won't go anywhere. I'm trying to have the quality and compete at the top level here and all over the world. In this sport, when you take care of the small details, big things will come.”

D'Angelo added, “We're getting better and better horses and every day is better than the last one.”

Even the day after Christmas.

Leon King Stable Corp.'s Bentornato, third after leading at the top of the stretch in a fantastic renewal of the G3 Saudi Derby at King Abdulaziz Racecourse Feb. 24 and a too-good-to-lose second at 28-1 in the Breeders' Cup Sprint at Del Mar Nov. 2, will look to go one better from a tough rail draw in the GI Malibu Stakes on Santa Anita's opening-day program.

Bentornato | Sarah Andrew

A winner of his first four attempts at two at Gulfstream Park, including a trio of stakes, the Florida-bred added this term's GII Gallant Bob Stakes at Parx Sept. 21 prior to his bang-up second at the Championships.

“He's run some huge races this year,” D'Angelo said. “He ran his heart out in Saudi, he ran an amazing race at Charles Town (second in the Robert Hilton Memorial Stakes Aug. 23), he won the Gallant Bob at Parx and he almost won the Breeders' Cup against older horses. Six furlongs is really his specialty, but this seven furlongs for the Malibu–I think this track is very similar to Gulfstream's and that can help carry his speed. He just ran against older and that should be an advantage for him. He's doing excellent.”

D'Angelo added, “He's a very special horse. Donato Lanni loved him and he's part of this horse, too. The owner decided to pinhook him–we bought him for $45,000 (OBS October yearling) and they sold him for $170,000 (OBS March 2-year-old). The buyers returned the horse though, so that's why he's named Bentornato. It means welcome back in Italian.”

Bentornato definitely loves the camera! pic.twitter.com/Y0iq735Lah

— Jose F D'Angelo (@JFDAngelo) December 16, 2024

Stars in the Making…

D'Angelo unveiled a pair of very promising 2-year-olds to 'TDN Rising Star' performances earlier this fall.

Morplay Racing's 'Rising Star' Shisospicy (Mitole) debuted with a head-turning, 16 1/4-length maiden victory at Gulfstream Park Oct. 18, then was third as the favorite after dueling through fast fractions in the Fern Creek Stakes going 6 1/2 furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 30.

Shisospicy | Ryan Thompson

Hailing from the second crop of champion sprinter Mitole, she was bred in Kentucky by Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt and was produced by the three-time winning Into Mischief mare Mischief Galore. Shisospicy, a $100,000 Keeneland January short yearling and $200,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling, RNA'd for $300,000 after breezing in :9 3/5 at OBS April.

“She's such a nice filly, her talent is incredible,” D'Angelo said. “I don't know her limits yet.”

D'Angelo continued, “When I ran her the first time, I didn't push her too much because when she works, she works so fast. I knew she was going to win, but didn't think she'd win by 16 lengths. After watching that, that's why we jumped her first condition and put her in the stakes at Churchill, where she fought so hard on the lead and got beat by two stakes fillies with more experience.”

He added, “I don't know if she will go long, but the plan is to freshen her a little bit, keep her happy and sound and find the right spot for her next race.”

Guns Loaded (Gun Runner), a respectable second on debut after stumbling at the start and showing good speed going seven furlongs at Saratoga Aug. 31, earned his 'Rising Star' badge with a powerful, front-running victory at second asking while cutting back to six furlongs at Churchill Downs Nov. 16, good for an 88 Beyer Speed Figure. The latter race has already produced a pair of next-out winners–Ain't No Disco (Catalina Cruiser) (third-place finisher) and Brodeur (Nyquist) (sixth-place finisher).

Guns Loaded | Coady Media

Gulfstream's Mucho Macho Man Stakes going a one-turn mile Jan. 4 is a potential landing spot for the $800,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, who is campaigned in partnership by Morplay, Joey Platts and Lady Sheila Stable.

“Our goal is to try to make the Derby with him,” D'Angelo said.

“He's a Gun Runner. He's supposed to be able to go longer and I think he can do it. He's a smart horse, the kind that when he works by himself, he doesn't show you all of his class. When he works in company, he works differently, and that's why I brought him to (debut at) Saratoga.”

One of 16 'Rising Stars' for leading young sire Gun Runner, Guns Loaded is out of the MGSP Bernardini mare Sky My Sky and hails from the extended female family of MG1SWs Nebraska Tornado (Storm Cat) and Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}). He was bred in Kentucky by John Oxley.

#Gunsloaded @theTDN Rising Star with a solid 6F breeze this morning at #PalmMeadows– 111.4 @JFDAngelo pic.twitter.com/83c6yiYHeF

— MORPLAY RACING (@MorplayRacing) December 20, 2024

D'Angelo's current stable star Howard Wolowitz could make his next start in the G2 1351 Turf Sprint on the Saudi Cup undercard Feb. 22. The Gold Square colorbearer and $240,000 Keeneland January product bounced back from a ninth-place finish in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint with a 'big bang,' nearly setting a track record for six furlongs in last weekend's Holiday Cheer Stakes at Turfway Park. He earned a career-high 103 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“He's very special to me,” D'Angelo said. “A horse with amazing talent and a character to train.”

GU Racing Stable's Twirling Queen (Twirling Candy), a four-time stakes winner this term, including Del Mar's Senator Ken Maddy Stakes on Breeders' Cup Friday, will make her next start in the Abundantia Stakes going five furlongs on the Gulfstream turf Dec. 28, per D'Angelo.

The aforementioned Gabaldon and No More Time are both expected to return to action for D'Angelo in 2025.

An upset winner at first asking of Gulfstream's Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes, the overachieving $9,000 OBS October yearling purchase Gabaldon has been on the shelf since his second-place finish at Royal Ascot. Qatar Racing acquired a 50% interest (for $150,000) in Gabaldon following this summer's Inglis Digital USA July Sale. His original owner Soldi Stable has retained the other half.

Morplay Racing's No More Time, last seen coming up just a neck short of subsequent GISW Domestic Product (Practical Joke) in the GIII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 9, suffered a condylar fracture of his left front leg during a workout in April while preparing for the Kentucky Derby. Bred on the same Not This Time x Speightstown cross as GISW Just One Time, the Iowa-bred brought $40,000 as a Keeneland September yearling.

“They are both on the farm doing well and getting better for next year,” D'Angelo said. “Gabaldon is already galloping and I'm looking forward to moving him to Palm Meadows in January. No More Time is an amazing horse with a big heart and brought us to dream of the Derby. He was my first graded winner here (winning the Sam F. Davis) and I owe a lot to him and his connections for the opportunity to train him.”

Father-and-Son Training Team…

D'Angelo learned the ropes from his father, Francisco D'Angelo, who was also a leading trainer in Venezuela. His dad is now his right- hand man, serving as assistant trainer.

Francisco & Jose D'Angelo | Ryan Thompson

“I wanted to emulate him. My father was Venezuela champion trainer three times and I learned everything from him,” said D'Angelo, adding that his grandfather was a turf writer. “I won the Clasico Simon Bolivar–it's like our Derby–and I'm the youngest trainer to do that.”

He added, “To do good here, you need a team. It's better to have two trainers than one. We make a great team here in USA. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to work with my father.”

The elder D'Angelo, a finalist for this year's Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards (Dedication to Racing Award), presented by Godolphin, said, “I feel privileged that God gave me this gift of being able to work as my son's assistant. I decided to step aside as an active trainer to work alongside my son. All parents want the best for their children. I believe that I have had time to prove what I had to prove (as a trainer) and now it's my turn to play the role of an assisting father.”

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