Trainer Jose D'Angelo hopes to welcome back his two FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes runners to the Gulfstream Park winner's circle in Hallandale Beach, Fla., once again Saturday.
Bentornato and Welcome Back are both undefeated and both won their races in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series for 2-year-olds sired by accredited Florida stallions.
The two juveniles have even more in common
Bentornato, the morning line favorite for Saturday's $200,000 Affirmed, and Welcome Back, who will seek a FSS repeat in the $200,000 Susan's Girl, have the same name, sort of.
“I picked Bentornato out when he was a yearling at the OBS sale, and the owner decided to pinhook him. They sold the horse for $170,000, but they returned the horse because the horse didn't pass the test,” D'Angelo said. “After that, they tried to buy the horse back for the same amount of money, but the owner said, 'No, no, I'm going to run the horse.' That's why they named the horse Bentornato, which means 'welcome back' in Italian,” D'Angelo said.
Leon King Stable Corp.'s Bentornato and Soldi Stable Inc.'s Welcome Back do not share common ownership.
“The filly's name is Welcome Back, so it's similar. It's similar – related, but not related,” D'Angelo said.
One thing is clear, Bentornato and Welcome Back are both precocious 2-year-olds that D'Angelo believes will improve with experience.
Bentornato, a son of Valiant Minister rallied from off the pace to win his five-furlong debut on a sloppy track July 1 before going on to win the six-furlong Proud Man in front-running fashion by 4 ¼ lengths and the FSS Dr. Fager by 7 ½ lengths after taking the lead in the backstretch.
“From the start, he showed ability,” D'Angelo said. “I think he's a very talented horse.
Welcome Back, who closed from off the pace to beat winners in her debut in a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta, overcame traffic to register a victory in the $100,000 FSS Desert Vixen at six furlongs.
“She's a two-turn horse, 100 percent,” D'Angelo said. “When we go longer with her, she's going to appreciate that. She's perfect to go two turns. The longer we run her, she's going to be better.”
Bentornato will put his undefeated record on the line while facing Mattingly, a highly regarded stakes winner on Tapeta who will be making his first start on dirt, as well as Hurricane Nelson, a Christophe Clement-trained New York invader who has finished second twice in maiden special weight races at Saratoga and Aqueduct.
Welcome Back will clash with undefeated R Harper Rose, a Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained daughter of Khozan who missed the Desert Vixen due to a fever.
“For sure you feel pressure every race. You want to win the race for both horses,” D'Angelo said. “Both horses are training really good.”
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'TDN Rising Star' Arabian Lion (Justify–Unbound, by Distorted Humor), who became the first Grade I winner for his boom sire in this year's Woody Stephens S. on the Belmont Stakes undercard, has been retired from racing and will enter stud in 2024 at Spendthrift Farm. He will stand for $30,000, stands-and-nurses terms.
Bred in Kentucky by Bonne Chance Farm LLC, the chestnut was purchased by Amr Zedan's Zedan Racing Stable for $600,000 out of the 2022 OBS April Sale and made a big impression at first asking, graduating by three lengths and clocking a strong 1:09.78 for six furlongs. Arabian Lion proved proficient when stretched out to two turns by trainer Bob Baffert, finishing second to fellow 'Rising Star' First Mission (Street Sense) in the GIII Lexington S. before romping by four lengths in the Sir Barton S., good for a 103 Beyer.
Having been under consideration for the GI Belmont S., Arabian Lion cut back to seven-eighths of a mile for the Woody Stephens, defeating then-unbeaten Drew's Gold (Violence) by 1 3/4 lengths, covering the distance in a slick 1:21.70 (109 Beyer) ahead of a third in the GI H. Allen Jerkens S. at Saratoga. Arabian Lion retires with a record of 3-2-1 from nine starts and earnings of $498,100.
“Arabian Lion is a tremendous-looking individual and he showed real brilliance on the track,” said Spendthrift General Manager Ned Toffey. “His win in the Woody Stephens was arguably the best performance this year by a 3-year-old, and the speed figures back that up.
“We are grateful to Mr. Zedan for the opportunity to stand another one of his stars. He and his team have obviously done a great job of acquiring and racing the best of the best, and those are the type of stallion prospects we are looking to stand at Spendthrift.”
Arabian Gold will stand alongside Zedan's 'TDN Rising Star' Taiba (Gun Runner) at Spendthrift.
Produced by a half-sister to the stakes-placed dam of the Spendthrift-owned MGSW Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), Arabian Lion–the first son of Justify to stud–counts the inimitable Personal Ensign (Private Account) as his third dam. Descending from that unbeaten racemare is MGISW My Flag, her champion daughter Storm Flag Flying (Storm Cat) and additional Grade I winners Miner's Mark, Traditionally and Mr Speaker .
#3 Arabian Lion claws to the front to win the G1 Woody Stephens S. at Belmont under John Velazquez for trainer Bob Baffert!
#TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/QWjNEZRtZG
— TwinSpires Racing
(@TwinSpires) June 10, 2023
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