Trainer Jose D’Angelo made it a priority to renew his passport this week following Gabaldon ‘s impressive debut victory in the $110,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Stakes May 11 at Gulfstream Park.
Soldi Stable’s Gabaldon earned his way to Great Britain, and his 34-year-old trainer couldn’t be more excited about saddling the 2-year-old Florida-bred colt for a stakes start during the prestigious Royal Ascot meet June 18-22.
Gabaldon demonstrated speed and grit in the Royal Palm Juvenile, a five-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds that offered the winner an automatic stakes berth at Royal Ascot, as well as a $25,000 travel stipend. A $9,000 purchase at the 2023 Ocala Breeders’ October Yearling Sale, the son of Gone Astray set fractions of :21.33 and :43.80 under heavy pressure before kicking clear to win by 1 1/4 lengths in :56.20.
“I knew he was ready. When we worked him in company, he was perfect,” D’Angelo said. “We bought the horse with the idea to run him in the Florida Sire Stakes. One day, when I tried him on the grass, he was better on grass than dirt. So that’s why we tried him in the stakes. I thought he would run big. They went fast. I think he has a big chance to win over there.”
D’Angelo, who has established himself as a young trainer on the rise since venturing from Venezuela to South Florida in 2018, has made three trans-Atlantic trips for stakes engagements in recent years.
After saddling Jesus’ Team for a third-place finish in the 2020 Preakness Stakes (G1) and second-place finishes in the 2020 Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) and 2021 Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1), D’Angelo traveled to Dubai, where his former claimer finished sixth in the 2021 Dubai World Cup (G1). In February, he finished third in the Saudi Derby (G3) with Bentornato , a multiple stakes-winning Florida-bred. In March, he traveled again to Dubai with Caramel Chip , who finished sixth in the Godolphin Mile (G2).
“We’re very excited to go to Royal Ascot. We went to Saudi with Bentornato. We went to Dubai with Jesus’ Team and Caramel Chip. We almost got to the (Kentucky) Derby with No More Time this year,” said D’Angelo, who saddled No More Time for a victory in the Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) and a second-place finish by a nose in the Tampa Bay Derby (G2). “I’m feeling so blessed and happy to go to all the places the horses have brought me. For a while my goal was to run there, now we have to win over there.”
Emisael Jaramillo, Venezuela’s all-time leading rider before establishing himself at Gulfstream Park, will ride Gabaldon at Royal Ascot.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
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