News & Barn notes
D’Angelo Back To His Regular Work Routine With Three Entered Saturday At Monmouth One Week After Winning First Grade 1 In U.S.
September 12, 2024
Trainer Jose D’Angelo said he has always adhered to one rule during his career: Win or lose, you assess what happened and quickly move on.
He will be doing just that at Monmouth Park on Saturday with three horses entered on the 10-race card, one a $7,500 claimer – exactly a week after he won his first Grade 1 stakes in the United States, a race that carried a $2 million purse.
“After every success or failure in my career I have tried to forget it the next day because I know I have to get back to work,” said D’Angelo, who oversees 85 horses with divisions in Kentucky, at Gulfstream Park and at Monmouth Park. “Whatever happens, that was yesterday. Today is a new day. That is how I have always approached things.
“But this one was not so easy to quickly forget.”
After several near-misses at Grade 1 wins since arriving in the United States from Caracas, Venezuela, in 2019, Howard Wolowitz delivered a Grade 1 win for D’Angelo by capturing the Aristocrat Franklin-Simpson at Kentucky Downs last Saturday.
“I’m still happy,” he said. “That night I couldn’t sleep. But I always try to focus on the work I have the next day.”
A successful trainer in Venezuela, D’Angelo won the Grade 3 Sam Davis Stakes at Tampa Downs on Feb. 10. But Grade 1 wins have proven to be elusive.
He saw Jesus’ Team in 2020 finish fourth in the Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park, third in the Preakness, second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and then second in the 2021 Pegasus World Cup. All are Grade 1 races.
This year, the D’Angelo-trained Gabaldon finished second in the Windsor Castle Stakes at Royal Ascot.
Gold Square’s Howard Wolowitz, named after a character on the TV series The Bing Bang Theory, was finally the one to break through for the 34-year conditioner.
“I was very confident in him going into that race,” said D’Angelo, who is coming off a career year that saw him win 138 races last year. He is at 94 wins so far this year. “But it’s a horse race. You don’t know what is going to happen when they break from the gate. Also, it’s a hard track to watch what is going on.
“I expected him to win but I still can’t believe it at the same time.”
D’Angelo said he celebrated by going to a local Mexican restaurant that night.
Asked how often he watches the replay of Howard Wolowitz’s race, D’Angelo said “every five minutes.”
At Monmouth Park on Saturday, D’Angelo has Kamui, previously trained by Bob Baffert, entered in a $50,000 allowance at 5½ furlongs on the grass. After that he sends out Space Launch in an allowance optional claimer on the grass and then Dr Bayter in a $7,500 claimer.
It’s a stark contrast to where he was with Howard Wolowitz last week and where he will be with the colt in another seven weeks. Howard Wolowitz, he said, will train up to the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint.
“I wish I could enjoy that race more but I have work to do,” said D’Angelo.