Yet, for reasons unknown, this six-furlong race stood out to some gamblers playing the nine-race Sunday program.

The $193,956 in win, place and show bets exceeded every other race on the card. So did the $198,851 in the exacta pool – fully $54,034 (37%) higher than the second biggest exacta pool on the day. The $127,460 in trifecta bets and $90,433 wagered on the superfecta also were the largest pools of the day for those bet types (the trifecta was higher by 38% and the superfecta by 26%).

Combining straight bets with these three exotic wagering pools, there was $610,700 bet on this maiden claimer, $114,210 (23%) more than the day's feature race, an allowance/optional claiming event with a field of nine.

In fact, of the 177 races run at Gulfstream Park in the previous month, beginning with Sept. 3, only five other races had larger exacta pools and only four trifecta pools were bigger than Sunday's fourth race. Keep in mind that Saturdays almost always out-handle Sunday cards.

The race was won in front-running fashion by Rubysa, a 3-year-old Gone Astray filly making her third start and first since March 26. Rubysa was 15-1 on the morning line and bet down to 2.70-1. First-time starter Sade Purse finished second at 17.90-1 with 1.5-1 favorite J D's Vista third and Princess Tereska, the 4-1 second choice, finishing fourth.

Both the winner and fourth-place finisher were making their first starts for trainer Juan Reviriego, who less than five months earlier returned to training to run his first horse since 2009 and proceeded to win with three of his first five starters. He then lost with his next 12 runners going into Sunday's fourth race.

Rubysa and Princess Teresko are owned by Long Trail Stables LLC, an entity registered in Florida by Felice Iadisernia,  the brother of horseman Giuseppe Iadisernia. The latter trained horses for more than a decade, sending out his last runners in 2016, and he and other family members are registered agent for a number of equine-related businesses, including Nelson Jones Farm and Training Center of Ocala, Northwest Stud, and companies that supply shavings and feed to Florida horsemen.

Rubysa was ridden by Jose Morelos, who came to Gulfstream Park earlier this year from Panama and has won with 29 of his first 268 mounts. Carlos Lugo, who had ridden trainer Reviriego's three other winners this year, had been aboard Rubysa in her two previous starts. Lugo rode Princess Tereska in the Oct. 3 race. Breaking from the No. 5 post position, Princess Tereska showed very little from the outset as Rubysa was hustled to the lead from the two post and would draw off by 4 ¾ lengths.

Francisco D'Angelo, a leading conditioner in Venezuela who began training in the U.S. in 2015, had previously trained both Rubysa and Princess Tereska but has not started a horse since Aug. 20, according to Equibase.

Rubysa paid $7.40 to win and combined with 17.90-1 longshot Sade Purse for a $1 exacta payoff of $82.80. The 50-cent trifecta, incorporating the 1.50-1 favorite J D's Vista in third, paid $84, while the 10-cent superfecta paid $111.29 with Princess Tereska in the fourth spot.

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The 30-year-old South Florida-based trainer will saddle his first starter in a Triple Crown event Saturday, when he will send Jesus' Team to the Pimlico racetrack for a clash with 10 other 3-year-olds in the Preakness Stakes (G1).

D'Angelo has taken the fast track to Thoroughbred racing's center stage, but he is very well aware of the high level of competition he will face in the Preakness, including Hall of Famers Bob Baffert (Authentic, Thousand Words) and Steve Asmussen (Max Player, Pneumatic, Excession).

“I have grown up watching trainers like Bob Baffert and Steve Asmussen. To be in the same race with them is very special to me,” he said.

D'Angelo learned from the best in Venezuela, being the son of Francisco D'Angelo, who won numerous training titles in his homeland while based at La Rinconada Hippodrome.

“I went to the track every day, every week, because my father was a trainer,” said D'Angelo, who began training on his own in 2012.

Success came quickly.

“I won the Clasico Simon Bolivar, the most important stake in Venezuela, with Dreaming of Gold in 2014. That's my best race until Saturday,” he said. “It was a great day because I was the youngest trainer to win the race.”

D'Angelo's training career continued to flourish, winning the training title in Venezuela in 2018.

“I decided to come to the U.S.,” he said, “to follow my dream.”

And his father, who began training in South Florida in 2015.

“My relationship with my dad is amazing. I learned all my skills from him,” D'Angelo said. “He helps me with my horses, and I help him with his horses, because we're a team.”

D'Angelo first ventured to the U.S. to saddle Venezuelan-bred Forze Mau for a second-place finish in a race on the Clasico del Caribe Internacional program at Gulfstream Dec. 9, 2017, before returning to Venezuela. Since his permanent move to the South Florida, he has saddled 29 winners from 139 starters.

Jesus' Team, who is owned by Grupo Seven C Stable, joined his barn after breaking his maiden in a $32,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream for another trainer March 18. The son of Tapiture romped to a 6 ¾-length triumph for a $25,000 claiming price in his first start for D'Angelo before finishing a close second in an optional claiming allowance behind graded-stakes winner Sole Volante. He made a huge jump in class to run in the July 18 Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park, finishing fourth behind Authentic, the Preakness morning-line favorite and Kentucky Derby hero. He went on to finish second behind Preakness rival Pneumatic in the Pegasus at Monmouth and second in the Sept. 5 Jim Dandy (G2) at Saratoga.

“I think in his last three races, he didn't have any luck during the race. I think he's a horse that is getting better with his races,” said D'Angelo, whose stable is based at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility in Palm Beach County. “I'm very sure he's going to run a good race.”

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“I explained to the owner the races [available] to him and he thinks the best decision was to run in the Preakness,” D’Angelo said. “He worked four furlongs very well. He’s very, very good right now, and the Preakness is a great race for us.”

D’Angelo said Jesus’ Team, named after the owner’s son, would work again next weekend at Monmouth before heading to Pimlico

Jesus’ Team broke his maiden in a $32,000 claiming event Mar. 18 at Gulfstream Park and won a claiming race May 8 before finishing second behind GII Tampa Bay Derby runner-up Sole Volante (Karakontie {Jpn}) by three-quarters of a length June 10 at Gulfstream in an allowance/optional claiming event. The bay then headed to Monmouth, finishing fourth behind GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic (Into Mischief), in the Haskell and second in the Pegasus S., before running second in the Jim Dandy Sept. 5 at Saratoga.

“In all his races, and in all his works, I think he runs his best race last to front…only one move,” D’Angelo said. “I think that will be his best way in the Preakness.”

D’Angelo, a native of Venezuela, is the son of another Gulfstream-based trainer in Francisco D’Angelo. Francisco, a champion trainer in Venezuela, came to the U.S. in 2015. Jose worked for his father before saddling his first winner in July of 2019.

Jesus’ Team is the latest to confirm participation in the Preakness. He joins Authentic, GII Toyota Blue Blue Grass S. Art Collector (Bernardini), GIII Robert Lewis S. Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), Derby third Mr. Big News (Giant’s Causeway) Pegasus winner Pneumatic, and Jim Dandy runner-up Liveyourbeastlife (The Big Beast).

Others being considered for the Preakness are: GI Belmont and GI Runhappy Travers S. winner Tiz the Law (Constitution), Belmont runner-up Dr Post (Quality Road) Jim Dandy winner Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and Tesio S. winner Happy Saver (Super Saver).

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