Princess Rooney: Soul of an Angel leads 10 in Breeders' Cup prep

The road to the Breeders’ Cup will run through Gulfstream Park on Saturday when a field of 10 is scheduled to compete in the Grade 3, $220,000 Princess Rooney Invitational.

The seven-furlong stakes for fillies and mares will qualify the winner for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint on Nov. 2 at Del Mar. The Rooney is the 10th of 11 races and is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. EDT. The first post Saturday is at 12:55 p.m.

Click here for Gulfstream Park entries and results.

Soul of An Angel enters the Princess Rooney off a third-place finish in the Aug. 23 Personal Ensign (G1) at Saratoga following a slow start. Bought privately and transferred to Joseph after a sixth-place finish in the March 9 Azeri (G2) at Oaklawn, the 6-year-old daughter of Atreides scored at first asking, winning the Ruffian (G2) at Aqueduct by 4 3/4 lengths. After a fifth-place finish in the Ogden Phipps (G1), she lost a head bob to champion Idiomatic in the Molly Pitcher (G3) at Monmouth Park and finished third in the Personal Ensign.

Joseph also entered Haulin Ice, who captured the seven-furlong Azalea two starts back, and Imonra, a Grade 3-placed daughter of Violence who finished fourth in the Sheer Drama last time out.

Beth’s Dream, who won the seven-furlong Sheer Drama by four lengths, was entered in the Princess Rooney on a four-race winning streak. The 6-year-old daughter of Jess’s Dream is trained by Victor Barboza Jr. He also entered Battle Cry, a 6-year-old mare with 13 career wins.

Beth’s Dream is eligible for the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders & Owners Association’s $20,000 bonus available to all registered Florida-breds in the race with $10,000 going to a winner, $6,000 for second and $4,000 for third.

Maryquitecontrary, who finished second behind Beth’s Dream in the Sheer Drama after racing in traffic, is Grade 1-placed and a graded-stakes winner, having captured the 2023 Inside Information (G2) before finishing third in the Madison (G1) at Keeneland. Eddie Plesa Jr. trains the 5-year-old daughter of First Dude.

Pacholli, a Group 1 winner in Uruguay, is scheduled to make her U.S. debut in the Princess Rooney. Hernán Parra trains the 6-year-old mare who has gone unraced since finishing off the board in the Godolphin Mile (G2) at Meydan.

Cousin Kristi, a New York-bred allowance winner at Saratoga last time out for trainer Cam Gambolati; Unsolved Mystery, an allowance winner at Colonial Downs in her 2024 debut for trainer Jorge Delgado; and Gallop d’Hermes, a last-out starter allowance winner for trainer Dante Zanelli Jr., round out the field.