Jose D'Angelo was understandably disappointed with Jesus' Team's sixth-place finish in Saturday's $12 million Dubai World Cup (G1), but the 30-year-old trainer has returned to South Florida with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
“We didn't lose, we learned,” said the Venezuela-born trainer, who has been training in the U.S. for less than two years. “We learned a lot of little things. In this sport, a lot of little things make big things happen.”
Grupo 7C Racing Stable's Jesus' Team, who earned a trip to Dubai with a second-place finish in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, raced evenly in traffic to finish sixth of 12 starters in the Dubai World Cup.
“In the mornings he showed life, in the race he showed different,” D'Angelo said. “I don't know what happened. One thing is a horse in the morning and the other thing is a horse running between 12 horses in the afternoon. The most important thing is Jesus came back perfect. He came back from the race like he does for a gallop, not tired.”
Jesus' Team is scheduled to fly to Chicago Thursday and will be in quarantine for three days before to returning to D'Angelo's stable at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.
“When he comes back, he'll get all the time he needs,” said D'Angelo, who was the leading trainer in Venezuela before he ventured to the U.S. “When he does come back, he will have an impact.”
Jesus's Team captured a $25,000 claiming race at Gulfstream Park while making his first start for D'Angelo last May. The 4-year-old son of Tapiture went on to finish third in the Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga and Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico and second in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) at Keeneland before returning to Gulfstream to win the Claiming Crown Jewel and finish second in the Pegasus.
D'Angelo drove the truck towing Jesus' Team's van for each of his major stakes engagements before the trainer and his overachieving horse traveled separately to Dubai.
“For me, it was the first time traveling with a horse outside the USA,” D'Angelo said. “It was an amazing experience. I would like to go back next year.”
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