Saratoga: D'Angelo goes for another win in Coronation Cup

Trainer Jose D’Angelo looks for a title defense as he sends out Cloe and Spirited Boss in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Coronation Cup, a 5 1/2-furlong Mellon turf sprint for sophomore fillies at Saratoga. 

D’Angelo saddled Twirling Queen to win last year’s Coronation Cup and has already enjoyed success in this division with Shisospicy, winner of the Mamzelle (G3) in May at Churchill Downs ahead of a trip to Royal Ascot.

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Cloe, who starts from post 3 with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., enters from a runner-up finish in the off-the-turf 5 1/2-furlong Soaring Softly on June 8 at Saratoga. The Tiz the Law bay, owned by Lugamo Racing Stable, added blinkers and went off favored, bobbling at the start but still traveling forwardly to lead around the turn, ultimately being passed by Saturday Flirt, who won by 3 3/4 lengths. 

“I think she will appreciate being back on grass,” said D’Angelo. “She ran pretty good on the dirt, but I’m hoping for no rain, and to run over the grass. I see her as a turf sprinter. That is why we went out to Santa Anita Park, then pointed to the Soaring Softly and the Coronation Cup at Saratoga.” 

Cloe entered the Soaring Softly off two strong turf sprint efforts, capturing the five-furlong Melody of Colors in March at Gulfstream Park ahead of a 1 1/4-length third in the Senorita (G3) going about 6 1/2 furlongs over Santa Anita Park’s downhill turf in April. 

“Cloe ran last time with just two workouts, I gave her a little break after her race at Santa Anita,” D’Angelo said. “Last time, she looked like the winner turning for home, but she is not the same horse on the dirt as on the grass. She will be better with the race.” 

Cloe’s previous 1 3/4-length pacesetting Melody of Colors score over stakes-winner Me Governor earned a career-best 86 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, improving upon a debut 84, when winning a 5 1/2-furlong Tapeta maiden in January at Gulfstream in one of two efforts for previous conditioner Victor Barboza, Jr. 

“She has speed. When a horse has speed, you have to break and see where you land,” D’Angelo said. “You have to see and feel, but I do think she is fast, and will be on the lead or pretty close.”

Cloe, an $80,000 purchase from the 2023 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky select yearling sale, is out of the Smart Strike mare Nuhood, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Eldaafer. Her second dam is dual Grade 1-victor Habibti. 

Spirited Boss, a Florida homebred for Tag Stables, who starts from post 5 with John Velazquez. She also contested the Soaring Softly last out, finishing third three lengths behind her stablemate. The Street Boss chestnut lost her footing at the start and traveled last-of-6 early. 

“She missed the break. She was so far back and that cost her the race because she was closing hard,” D’Angelo said. “She had a nice gallop-out, and is much better on the grass. Hopefully with breaking better and staying closer, we will have a better chance in this race.” 

Last out, Spirited Boss was cutting back to the distance that saw her graduate in dominant pacesetting fashion versus fellow state-breds in January over Gulfstream’s Tapeta, a 5 1/2-length win as the post-time favorite, on the heels of a debut third in a similar tilt going a sixteenth shorter in December.

After those efforts, Spirited Boss stretched out to one-mile and 70-yards to win a state-bred allowance on the Tapeta in February at Gulfstream, ahead of a half-length triumph going 7 1/2 furlongs on turf in the Sanibel Island in March and a runner-up finish in the one-mile Honey Ryder in May there.

“We ran her long, she won a nice stakes against nice fillies in the Sanibel Island,” D’Angelo said. “See that it was seven and a half, so maybe two turns helps her, but with a good pace and break, she has a chance.” 

Make Haste, who breaks from the rail under Flavien Prat, has made two stateside starts, both sprinting five furlongs at Gulfstream. Trained by Miguel Clement for Gainesway Stable and LNJ Foxwoods, the Great Britain-bred Blue Point bay was fourth beaten 2 1/4 lengths by Cloe in the Melody of Colors ahead a last-out 4 3/4-length optional claiming score on April 13. 

The latter performance earned an 84 Beyer and was her second career win, also graduating in her May 2024 debut over the same distance at Naas for previous trainer Diego Dias. Make Haste made four overseas stakes outings last year, including a second in last July’s Marwell over the same course as her winning debut. 

“Work after work she has dazzled – she continues to dazzle me. She’s the most unlucky filly,” said Clement. “She was scheduled to run here in the Soaring Softly and they took it off the grass. She’s been a victim of poor luck, and I hope she gets rewarded.”

Make Haste, a $96,112 purchase from book two at the 2023 Tattersalls October yearling sale, is out of the winning Lawman mare Quick March, a half-sister to Mince, the 2012 Europe champion 3-year-old sprinter. Her second dam is dual Group 3-placed Strut. 

Abientot, who starts from post 6 under Dylan Davis, won at this level as a juvenile when capturing the six-furlong Matron (G3) in October at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by hall of fame inductee Mark Casse for Tracy Farmer, the Not This Time dark bay closed from 11th-of-12 for a neck score over next-out stakes winner Civetta ahead of a distant finish in the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in November at Del Mar. 

Abientot was defeated by the aforementioned Shisospicy in both starts this year, landing a one-length third in the Limestone in April at Keeneland and ninth in the Mamzelle last out in May at Churchill. 

Abientot graduated second-out over course and distance last July here when closing from 6th-of-10 to win by a half-length. The $210,000 purchase at the Keeneland September yearling sale out of the More Than Ready mare Ready Ready Ready is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed Malibu Coast and dual stakes-winner Mr. Hustle.  

The Coronation Cup is slated as race 7 on Friday’s 10-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. EDT.