C Two Racing Stable and Agave Racing Stable’s Soul of an Angel overtook post-time favorite Randomized in mid-stretch to post a surprise win in Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Ruffian, a one-turn mile for older fillies and mares, at Belmont at the Big A.
The 5-year-old daughter of Atreides improved from an off-the-board finish in the Grade 2 Azeri on March 9 at Oaklawn Park when in the care of conditioner Gerald James. She was purchased privately following that effort and moved to the barn of Saffie Joseph, Jr. to notch her first graded stakes conquest, her best previous finish at that level a runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Royal Delta in February at Gulfstream Park.
Electra Boone, assistant to Joseph, Jr., said Soul of an Angel relished the weather conditions in New York.
"She's a big, beautiful filly and dappled out. I had her training here [in New York] for a couple of days and I was in awe of how she was taking to the track,” said Boone. “Going from Florida humidity to the colder weather gets horses feeling really good. She was on her toes and really feeling herself all week."
Soul of an Angel emerged well from post 4 under Trevor McCarthy and settled well off the top pair of pacesetter and Grade 1 winner Randomized and Grade 1-placed Green Up, who tracked just off the former through an opening quarter-mile in 23.09 seconds over the fast main track.
The slow-starting Ain’t Broke attempted to gain position when splitting between the rail skimming Soul of an Angel and Fingal’s Cave to her outside as the half-mile elapsed in :46.25 and Randomized remained a comfortable leader over Green Up. Approaching the turn, McCarthy coaxed his charge along the rail while Fingal’s Cave launched a wide bid around the retreating Green Up to take dead aim at a freewheeling Randomized.
Manny Franco remained still aboard Randomized at the top of the lane as McCarthy swung Soul of an Angel off the rail and to the outside of the pacesetter to overtake Fingal’s Cave for second and loom large after three-quarters in 1:10.69. Franco switched to a right-handed crop near the eighth pole as Randomized gave her best run off a six-month layoff, but Soul of an Angel swept past her accomplished rival with ease and cruised home a 4 3/4-length winner in a final time of 1:35.40.
Randomized held place by three-quarter lengths over her Chad Brown-trained stablemate Shidabhuti with Fingal’s Cave completing the superfecta. Ain’t Broke and Green Up completed the order of finish, with both mares reported to have bled. Ain’t Broke walked off under her own power while Green Up was vanned off. Traverse was scratched.
McCarthy, aboard for the first time in the afternoon, said he was pleased with the trip he worked out.
"I was able to get a good break and get a good position,” said McCarthy. “She got into a really great rhythm for me. She ranged up in behind the favorite going into the turn and I was able to angle her out, save all the ground, tip out, and she finished so strong for me. I was just super delighted with her and all credit to the barn really."
Bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables, Soul of an Angel was a $3,000 RNA at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the The Factor mare Factor One, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Homeboykris. She banked $110,000 in victory, boosting her total purse earnings to $372,675 through a 36-4-6-4 record. Soul of an Angel returned $51 for a $2 win ticket.
Franco said Randomized, who won last year’s Grade 1 Alabama at Saratoga Race Course and finished a close second to Idiomatic in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Santa Anita Park, gave a good effort in her first start since the Breeders’ Cup.
"She was probably a little tired at the end,” said Franco. “She gave me the left lead down the lane and was getting tired. She ran a decent race.”
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with an eight-race card featuring the Listed $150,000 License Fee in Race 3 and the Listed $150,000 Gold Fever in Race 7. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.
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