D’Angelo Looking for Twirling Queen to Fire in Islamorada

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Hernan Gomez’s Twirling Queen will carry highweight of 124 pounds in Sunday’s $100,000 Islamorada Handicap with trainer Jose D’Angelo hoping the 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy has recaptured the fire that fueled an extremely successful sophomore season.

Multiple stakes-winning Twirling Queen had gone winless in her first four starts of 2025 before breaking through with a promising victory in an Oct. 24 allowance at Keeneland last time out.

“She was very healthy. She just didn’t want to run” said D’Angelo, whose trainee will concede between one and nine pounds to her six rivals in the 5 ½-furlong stakes for fillies and mares on Tapeta. “She definitely improved for the Keeneland race.”

After joining D’Angelo’s stable at the start of the 2024 season, Twirling Queen went on a four-race winning streak, starting with an allowance win and her first stakes victory in the Melody of Colors on turf at Gulfstream. She followed up with 5 ½-furlong triumphs on turf in the Mamzelle at Churchill Downs and the Coronation Cup at Saratoga. After finishing off the board in a Keeneland stakes, she won the five-furlong Sen. Ken Maddy on turf at Del Mar.

Following a five-month layoff, the D’Angelo trainee finished out of the money in three Saratoga stakes, including two graded, and ran second in a Colonial Downs stakes before breaking through with a 5 ½-furlong turf allowance victory at Keeneland last time out.

“We brought her to Saratoga this summer and she didn’t run well. We brought her back to Florida before the Keeneland race and it worked perfect. She ran good again. She loves it here,” D’Angelo said.

D’Angelo will also be represented in the Islamorada by Three Diamond Farm’s Sporting Lady, a 3-year-old daughter of Munnings who will make her first start for him while coming off a five-furlong allowance victory on turf at Laurel for trainer Keri Brion.

“The filly is training good here. I don’t have much time to know her, but everything I see I like,” D’Angelo said.

Edgard Zayas has the call on Twirling Queen, rated second on the morning-line at 2-1, while Samuel Marin has been named on Sporting Lady (15-1).

Orlyana Farm’s Great Venezuela, who is favored on the morning line at 8-5, will be in receipt of a pound from Twirling Queen. The 4-year-old daughter of Neolithic is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Oct. 31 Sen. Ken Maddy – the first time she finished lower than third in 15-career starts. The Victor Barboza Jr.-trained filly has been particularly successful on Gulfstream’s Tapeta course, over which she has registered six victories and a second-place finish in seven starts.

Barboza will also be represented by Vicente Stella Stables LLC’s Le Amazonia, a 3-year-old daughter of Practical Joke who won an optional claiming allowance on Tapeta two starts back.

Emisael Jaramillo has the call on Great Venezuela, while Samy Camacho has the call on Le Amazonia (8-1), who will carry 115 pounds.

Trainer Steve Dwoskin’s Choose Joy, who will carry 120 pounds Sunday, has also compiled an impressive record at Gulfstream, winning 10 times and finishing second eight times in 27 starts on both Tapeta and turf. The 8-year-old daughter of Munnings recently returned off a 14-month layoff to capture a five-furlong optional claiming allowance on Tapeta.

Miguel Vasquez has the return mount on Choose Joy (5-1).

Danbro Farms LLC’s Me Governor (118) is scheduled to make her first start on Tapeta while coming off a close-up third-place finish in a Churchill Downs allowance at 5 ½ furlongs on turf.

The Carlos David-trained daughter of The Factor (6-1) will be ridden by Jorge Ruiz.

David will also be represented in the Islamorada by Troy Johnson, Wendell Yates and Maritza Weston’s Win N Your In (12-1), a multiple-stakes winner on dirt who will make her first start on Tapeta while carrying 116 pounds, including Joe Bravo.