Ky. Downs: Howard Wolowitz seeks better trip in Grade 1

Trainer Jose D’Angelo is hoping he gets a big bang out of Howard Wolowitz in Saturday’s Grade 1, $2 million Franklin-Simpson. The 3-year-old colt by Munnings, owned by Al Gold’s Gold Square Racing, is named after the character of the same name from the hit TV show “The Big Bang Theory,” which ran from 2007-2019.

“He is a character, too,” D’Angelo said about the colt at the Kentucky Downs stable area Thursday morning.

D’Angelo will be running his good-natured colt in the 6 1/2-furlong Franklin-Simpson in his second career start on the grass.

The first one, didn’t go so good.

In the 5 1/2-furlong listed Mahony Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 11, Howard Wolowitz finished fourth, beaten by just 1 1/4 lengths.

“He had a really bad trip at Saratoga,” said the Florida-based D’Angelo. “He was inside, behind horses, and he never got to clear. In the last furlong of that race, he could not make his move because he didn’t have any place to go.”

Before the Mahony, Howard Wolowitz broke his maiden on the Tapeta course at Gulfstream Park by 7 3/4 lengths. That race was also at 5 1/2 furlongs. That race was the second in Howard Wolowitz’s career and first in D’Angelo’s barn. He started his career in Brittany Russell’s barn and finished eighth in his debut at seven furlongs on dirt after a rocky start.

Howard Wolowitz will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr., for the first time in the Franklin-Simpson. He will start from post position 10 in the 12-horse field.

D’Angelo thinks the added ground will help his horse, who is the 9-2 second choice on Kentucky Downs’ oddsmaker Nick Tammaro’s morning line behind Mansa Musa, who is 4-1 for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

“I really like our chances,” D’Angelo said. “Every morning, he looks like he is handling the track better and better.”

D’Angelo has another stakes horse that he hopes gets a chance to run on Saturday.

Twirling Queen will need three scratches to get into the Grade 2, $2 million Music City for 3-year-old fillies going 6 1/2 furlongs. A daughter of Twirling Candy, Twirling Queen has won all four of her starts this year, three of them ungraded stakes races.

“She is a nice filly, the distance is perfect for her, and she looks like she likes the track,” D’Angelo said. “I hope I get to the gate.”

D’Angelo was getting his first look at Kentucky Downs on Thursday.

“Really like it,” he said. “There is grass everywhere!”