Soul of an Angel. (Chelsea Durand)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Soul of an Angel made a memorable first start for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. and owners C Two Racing Stable and Agave Racing, rallying beyond Grade 1-winner Randomized with a furlong to run en route to a 4 3/4-length score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian at Belmont at the Big A.
The 5-year-old Atreides mare, previously trained and co-owned by Gerald James, caught the eye of her current connections when she ran a good second at odds of 42-1 to the Joseph, Jr.-trained Honor D Lady in the Grade 3 Royal Delta in February at Gulfstream Park.
Joseph, Jr. said Mark Cornett of C Two Racing Stable tried to acquire the mare immediately following the Royal Delta and managed to get the deal done after Soul of an Angel ran sixth in the Grade 2 Azeri in March at Oaklawn Park.
“Mark Cornett’s persistence led to us acquiring her. She came to us in great shape,” Joseph, Jr. said. “She’s five and she’s run plenty. She’s so sound and in good health. A credit to the trainer, Gerald, who had her before us. When you get a horse at this age, you’re just the beneficiary of the previous trainer doing a good job. We’re thankful to be the recipient of that.”
Soul of an Angel exited post 4-of-6 under Trevor McCarthy in Saturday’s one-turn mile for older fillies and mares and settled in fifth position as last year’s Grade 1 Alabama-winner Randomized, who was racing off a six-month layoff from her runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff, marked off splits of 23.09 seconds and 46.25 under pressure from Grade 1-placed Green Up.
McCarthy tipped Soul of an Angel five-wide for the stretch run and took command with a furlong to run, drawing clear to a 4 3/4-length score in a final time of 1:35.40 over the fast main track. The winning effort garnered a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She ran big. It was very impressive,” Joseph, Jr. said. “Going into that race with Randomized, you don’t think you can beat her but you’re hoping maybe there will be a pace setup and she could pick up a piece of it. She got the pace setup – Green Up put a little pressure on and Randomized was a little keen off the layoff. The race set up and the mare showed up and ran a big race.”
Joseph, Jr. said Soul of an Angel will return to his Florida base before the team picks out a next spot for the newly minted graded stakes-winner.
Bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables, Soul of an Angel was a $3,000 RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the The Factor mare Factor One, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Homeboykris. She banked $110,000 in victory, boosting her total purse earnings to $372,675 through a 36-4-6-4 record.
Joseph, Jr. watched Soul of an Angel’s winning performance via simulcast from Churchill Downs where he saddled 34-1 longshot Catalytic to a 19th-place finish in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby which was won in dramatic rail-skimming fashion by Mystik Dan.
The Catalina Cruiser bay, who earned his way into the Derby with a distant runner-up effort to Fierceness in the Grade 1 Florida Derby, exited post 5-of-20 Saturday under Jose Ortiz and tracked along the rail in mid-pack through the early running before fading.
“He got a pretty good trip. He got bumped early on by Just Steel in the first eighth, but passing the wire he was able to establish a good spot on the rail where you want to be,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He was actually behind the winner and looked good going towards the half and from there he got tired and Jose took care of him. It was a tall task in his fourth start and his third run in a short period of time. We’ll regroup. He’s a solid horse and has better days ahead.”
Joseph, Jr. said it’s likely that Catalytic, owned by Tami Bobo, Julie Davies and George Isaacs, will not continue along the Triple Crown trail and will see a cutback in distance for his next start.
Bred in Kentucky by Fred W. Hertrich, III, the $125,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Select Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Distorted Humor mare One Show Only, who is a full-sister to graded stakes-placed Poof Too.
Joseph, Jr. noted that Vegso Racing Stable’s Kentucky homebred Imonra is possible to ship to the Big A for the Grade 3, $175,000 Vagrancy, a 6 1/2-furlong sprint for older fillies and mares on May 18.
The 4-year-old Violence dark bay finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Iowa Oaks in July at Prairie Meadows and was last seen taking a six-furlong optional-claiming sprint on April 4 at Gulfstream.
Imonra is out of the stakes-winning Northern Afleet mare Light Bringer, who is a full-sister to graded stakes-winner Aegean.
