D’Angelo has Strength in Numbers for Friday’s Pulpit

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – In a highly competitive nine-horse field for Friday’s $100,000 Pulpit, top to bottom, trainer Jose D’Angelo will have strength in numbers heading into the 7 ½-furlong turf stakes for 2-year-olds at Gulfstream Park.

Second in the trainer’s standings for the Sunshine Meet that ended Sunday following a dogfight with Saffie Joseph Jr., D’Angelo will be represented by three promising colts in the Day 2 feature of the 2025-2026 Championship Meet that kicks off Thursday, Thanksgiving Day.

Joker Racing LLC and New Horizon Bloodstock’s Skipping Stars, Three Diamonds Farm’s Bronze Bullet, and Hit The Bid Racing Stable’s Uncle Aldo will take on BG Stables’ Behold the King, the 7-2 morning-line favorite who is coming off a victory in the Nov. 1 Armed Forces at Gulfstream.

Skipping Stars, a son of Mitole who is rated second on the morning line at 4-1, finished second, beaten a half-length by Behold the King in the mile Armed Forces, after setting the pace into deep stretch.

“He was the winner the whole race except at the finish line,” D’Angelo said.

Skipping Stars finished second in a five-furlong maiden special weight on turf in his debut at Churchill Downs in May before breaking his maiden at Gulfstream with a front-running victory going a mile and 70 yards on Tapeta Sep. 21.

“He’s a nice horse – fast. That’s why I ran him five furlongs first time out at Churchill,” D’Angelo said. “He’s not a sprinter but he’s not a two-turn horse for more than a mile. That’s why 7 ½ furlongs should be perfect for him.”

Skipping Stars will break from the No. 9 post position under Edgard Zayas.

“The hardest thing for him is the post position. Edgard is going to have to use him early because we break into the turn,” D’Angelo said. “We have to be lucky. The key for him is the break.”

Bronze Bullet is coming off a second-place finish behind a speedy Monster in a 5 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta Nov. 8 after capturing his five-furlong debut on the all-weather surface.

“He ran huge first time out. For his second race, he looked lie was looking for more ground,” D’Angelo said. “I’m taking off the blinkers trying to relax him a little bit because this is a big step for him – going two turns for the first time. Hopefully, we’ll see him relaxing at the start and making his move.”

Emisael Jaramillo has the call the son of Leinster, who is rated at 6-1.

Uncle Aldo, who was in the money in two five-furlong turf sprints at Gulfstream to open his career, is coming off a six-furlong maiden special weight victory on turf at Aqueduct Oct. 16.

“It’s the same thing for him as Skipping Stars. He can run short but he’s not a five-furlongs horse. That’s why we brought him to New York looking for the six furlongs. He broke excellent from the gate and dominated the race,” D’Angelo said. “I like his chances too.”

The son of More Than Ready, who is listed at 10-1 on the morning-line, will be ridden by Joe Bravo.

Behold the King, who has never finished worse that second in five starts, rated just off the pace before edging past Skipping Stars in the Armed Forces. Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the son of Not This Time graduated in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on turf at Aqueduct while beating a next-out winner.

Edwin Gonzalez has the return call on Behold the King, who will break from the gate one stall inside Skipping Stars.

Ken Ramsey’s Shipmate is rated third on the morning line at 9-2 off a dominating victory last time out in a 5 ½-furlong maiden special weight on Tapeta. Miguel Vasquez has the call on the Nolan Ransey-trained son of Mendelsohn.

Harrell Ventures LLC’s Sunrise, who broke his maiden around two turns at Saratoga, enters the Pulpit off a troubled trip in the Laurel Futurity. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will equip the son of Karakontie with blinkers for the Pulpit. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano has the mount on Sunrise, who is listed at 6-1 on the morning-line.

Centurion Thoroughbred Club’s Glorious Boy, also listed at 6-1 on the morning line, enters the Pulpit off a second-place finish in the six-furlong Awad at Aqueduct Nov. 9. The Carlos Martin-trained son of Independence Hall graduated in a maiden claiming event at six furlongs on turf in his prior start at Aqueduct. Rajiv Maragh, who is just three wins away from the 2000-win milestone, has the call.

Bella Mia Stables LLC’s A Million Dreams (8-1), a stakes-placed son of By My Standards who finished third in a two-turn.

Keeneland allowance on turf last time out, and Arindel’s Chalky White (20-1), a maiden winner at Saratoga on dirt who will make his second start on turf Saturday, round out the field.