Itza Boss, Thought Control Return from Layoffs in $100,000 Umphrey

Face 15 Time Winner Rezasrolex
One of Three Saturday Stakes on Princess Rooney Day

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – After spending part of the summer traveling to California, New York, Virginia and Kentucky to oversee his extensive stable, trainer Jose D’Angelo made it back to South Florida earlier this week. Part of his time will be spent preparing for the $100,000 Bob Umphrey Turf Sprint Saturday with Fugget About It Racing’s 4-year-old gelding Itza Boss.

The Umphrey is one of three stakes on Saturday’s program that includes the $225,000 Princess Rooney (G3), a Breeders’ Cup Challenge ‘Win & You’re In’ for the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) at Keeneland Oct. 31.

The 10-race program begins at approximately 12:20 ET.

The five-furlong Umphrey will be a stiff challenge for Itza Boss (9-2), who has three wins and two seconds in five starts at the distance. Trainer Joe Orseno has entered a trio of runners including Robert Cotran’s consistent Rezasrolex, a winner of 15 of 23 races. Leading trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will go with e Five Racing’s Thought Control, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Englishman. Like Itza Boss, Thought Control will also enter off a layoff.

For D’Angelo, Itza Boss, a Florida-bred son of Valiant Minister, would seem to have quite a bit of potential with three wins and three seconds in eight career starts and never having been beaten by more than 3 ¼ lengths.

“He’s been very consistent and he’s versatile,” D’Angelo said.

But Itza Boss has had a start-and-stop career. After racing three times at Gulfstream in the summer as a 2-year-old with two seconds, the gelding was off for three months before breaking his maiden in November of 2024 by a half-length over stablemate Gabaldon, who would finish second in the Windsor Castle at Ascot. That was the geldings last start before returning in October of 2025. In his next four starts Itza Boss won twice over the winter and added a runner-up finish. But he will enter the Umphrey not having raced since February.

“We had to give him some time we felt he needed,” D’Angelo said. “He’s very good right now. We’ve been slow with him, patient. I really believe after this race he will really improve. But he’s been improving every day, and I think if they duel on the lead in this race, and he’s just off leaders, he will run a big race.”

Joseph, who has five wins and four seconds in 10 starts since the Sunshine Meet started last week, will send out Thought Control (3-1) for the first time since he won his turf debut May 10 by 3 ¼ lengths. The 4-year-old son of Gun Runner is out of the Speightstown mare In It for the Gold.

“He’s a very talented horse,” Joseph said. “He’s actually a half-brother to Englishman, who is super-talented. This horse has shown some talent. We were going to ship him up to Saratoga a couple times, the more we thought about it, it worked out that we decided to give him some time and wait for Gulfstream.

“He’s going to face stakes company for the first time. It’s going to be a big jump in class, but his figure – a 100 Beyer – if he can duplicate that, he’d have a very good shot, so hopefully he can.”

Rezasrolex (5-2), a 5-year-old son of Bucchero, returned from Keeneland and an off-the-board finish in the Shakertown (G2) this summer and reeled off two victories at Gulfstream in June and July before finishing eighth Aug. 9 in the Troy (G2) at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old gelding has been remarkably consistent. Rezasrolex has 11 wins and two seconds in his last 13 starts in Florida. Orseno has also entered Mattingly and Extendo

Esperon (10-1), trained by David Braddy, is 1-2-2 in his last five starts sprinting at Gulfstream. Rouki (12-1), trained by Gerald Bennett, was the beaten 4-5 favorite Aug. 9, a half length behind Extendo. Rouki won at the distance and course July 25 by 3 ¼ lengths.