Champion Mare Soul of An Angel to Skip Saudi Derby

Gulfstream-Based 6YO to Point for April 5 Madison (G1)
Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $525,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – C2 Racing Stable, Agave Racing Stable and Ken Reimer’s champion female sprinter Soul of an Angel will bypass the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1) and remain in the U.S. for her next start.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday that Soul of an Angel, based at Gulfstream Park, is being pointed to the seven-furlong Madison (G1) for older fillies and mares April 5 at Keeneland.

Soul of an Angel had been on the alternate list for the Feb. 22 Saudi Cup going 1 1/8 miles around one turn at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh. Had she gone, the 6-year-old mare would have left on a flight Tuesday.

“She’s not going for sure. That’s official. She’s going to go to the Madison,” Joseph said. “We’re going to give her a little freshening now that we’re not going to Saudi and probably in a month or so we’ll start back breezing her.”

Soul of an Angel was third or better in eight of 11 starts with more than $1 million during her championship season, highlighted by a victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1). She earned a fees-paid berth to the Breeders’ Cup by winning Gulfstream’s Princess Rooney Invitational (G3) in September.

Most recently Soul of an Angel ran third as the favorite, beaten a neck and a head following a slow start, in the one-mile Rampart Dec. 26 at Gulfstream. She had three timed works following the race, the last a half-mile move in 47.80 seconds Feb. 2.

“We won’t breeze her every week because it’s too far out from the [Madison],” Joseph said. As it turned out at the last minute we probably could have gotten in at Saudi, but it was too late. We only ran in the Rampart with Saudi in mind. If had to redo it, we would have given her a break then.”

The last dirt race for older female sprinters left on Gulfstream’s Championship Meet stakes schedule is the $165,000 Hurricane Bertie (G3) going 6 ½ furlongs March 8. Last winter, Soul of an Angel was second to stablemate Honor D Lady in the 1 1/16-mile Royal Delta (G3), which will be run Feb. 15.

“There’s only one race for her and 6 ½ is too short, so there’s nothing really on the calendar,” Joseph said. “She’s got the Madison and a couple other Grade 1s to go in. She’s going to keep training every day, obviously, but this will give her a chance to refresh. It’s a lot easier to stay home.”

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $525,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 will have an estimated pool of $525,000 when the 2024-2025 Championship Meet resumes with a nine-race program Wednesday at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 sequence spans Races 4-9. The opening leg is a claiming event for 3-year-old filly maidens sprinting six furlongs on the main track where trainer Steve Dwoskin sends out the pair of Starship Elation, third in her Jan. 23 debut on the all-weather Tapeta course, and first-time starter Starship Serenity. Areacodefiveoone has been favored in each of her three prior starts, including a second and a third.

Sophomore maidens will go 5 ½ furlongs on the Tapeta in Race 6. Replevin looks to break through for trainer Bobby Dibona after finishing third or better in five of seven starts, four of them seconds, including each of the last two over the course. Irish-bred Incanto, on the board in five straight races, runs first time for trainer Jose D’Angelo.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners, while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

Who’s Hot: Championship Meet leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. registered a Sunday hat trick with Westside Tide ($15.40) in Race 1, Forged Steel ($7.20) in Race 4 and Executive Success ($5) in Race 10 … Championship Meet leading jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. doubled with Westside Tide and Capturing ($14.80) in Race 6.