Royal Ascot 2025 on Jose D'Angelo's mind as European buying mission begins

A first visit to Royal Ascot this summer has inspired Jose D’Angelo to look to Europe for a next generation of contenders.

Gabaldon, who was picked out primarily on looks rather than pedigree, was a $9,000 bargain at the Ocala October Yearling Sale as he has now earned his owners, Soldi Stables, considerably more. 

The Gone Astray colt took a black-type event at Gulfstream Park on his debut, which qualified him for the chance to finish an honourable second in the Windsor Castle Stakes.

D’Angelo recently attended the Arqana August Yearling Sale before taking a circuitous route back to the United States to reach Saratoga, where his classy sprinter-miler Run Classic has been prepared for this weekend's Grade 1 Forego Stakes.

"We almost won the race at Ascot and I really liked it over there," he said. "I’m planning, if we have the chance and if we have the right horse, to try to go every year and do better, and in better races.

"Since about a year ago I thought I’d like to go over there and to run, and that’s what we did, and I also wanted to buy horses. Last year we were lucky to find Gabaldon. So I went to Arqana to try to find something to bring here and go back there, for Ascot."

Lot 246 from the Arqana August Yearling Sale, Baroda Stud's Kodiac filly, was bought with Royal Ascot in mindCredit: Zuzanna Lupa

He ended up with a Kodiac filly bought from Baroda Stud’s draft for €110,000 who is out of an unraced Night Of Thunder half-sister to smart miler Gm Hopkins.

"I really liked her," said D’Angelo. "She’s very well balanced and with Kodiac and Night Of Thunder, it sounded like a sprinter in terms of her bloodlines, so we’ll have to see what she’s like in training.

"She’ll come back to me in the next few days and I bought her for Al Gold and Gold Square LLC, who owned [dual Grade 1 winner] Cyberknife. I was pretty happy, it was a nice sale."

After Gabaldon ran at Ascot he was offered at the Inglis Digital USA July Sale and Qatar Racing purchased 50 per cent of him for $150,000 in a private deal.

While the 34-year-old has proved he has a good eye for a horse, he consequently had some useful assistance when it came to assessing less familiar European pages.

"I know a little but the Qatar team, Sheikh Fahad, David Redvers and Hannah Wall, helped me a lot, because a lot of the babies are perfect to run more than a mile and at the moment I was looking to try to find a two-year-old," he said. "It’s not easy, and in time hopefully we’ll see if we made the right decision.

"Everything was new for me but I met a lot of new people and met with people I knew from Ascot, so it was all good over there."

He hinted that he might also be sighted at other yearling sales in Britain or Ireland.

"I tried to buy more than one but they were expensive, some were out of range," he said. "I just got her but luckily there are future sales where I can find more."

Jose D'Angelo (right) has shown a willingness to travel with his horsesCredit: Mathea Kelley/JCSA

D’Angelo, who is from a Venezuelan racing dynasty, made very quick progress through the ranks in his homeland before seeking new challenges on the Florida circuit in 2019. 

The young trainer has already shown a willingness to travel to the likes of Saudi Arabia and the UAE and went close to victory in the Preakness, Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup with his early flagbearer Jesus’ Team. Following a record haul of 138 winners in 2023, he also fielded an impressive juvenile newcomer J Squared (by Caravaggio) at Gulfstream earlier this week.

The silvery Gabaldon has not appeared since that date in June, where he was quickly away and led the field on the stands' rail until he was cut down by Ain’t Nobody with the winning line in sight.

"For sure we were looking to win the race," said D’Angelo. "We tried, it was a good experience, we got a taste for it, and we’re going to go for more.

"He’s resting right now, he got bone bruising. He worked one time after coming home but he’s a good horse and we're giving him the time that he needs."

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