HALLANDALE BEACH - Jose D’Angelo figures to be well-represented today at Gulfstream Park, where the up-and-coming trainer is scheduled to saddle Amstrong for a start in the $65,000 Showing Up for 3-year-olds and Reminder for his stakes debut in the $65,000 Armed Forces for 2-year-olds.

    Soldi Stable and Ohana Racing’s Amstrong will seek his fourth triumph in as many starts on Tapeta in the 1 1/16-mile Showing Up. Reminder will strive to do his highly successful family proud in the mile-and-70-yard Armed Forces on the all-weather surface.

    “It looks like we could have a good weekend,” D’Angelo said.

    Amstrong moved up on Tapeta to break his maiden by four lengths in his third career start in April before coming right back to capture the Not Surprising by 3 ¾ lengths in June. The son of Tapwrit ran his record on the all-weather surface to 3-for-3 with a 2 ¼-length score in the Sept. 16 Bear’s Den.

    “The last furlong of his races, he’s run so, so good,” D’Angelos said. Miguel Vasquez, who was aboard Amstrong for his three Tapeta wins, has the return call.

    Ari Gold, who captured the Pulpit on turf at Gulfstream in December, is scheduled to make his Tapeta debut in the Showing Up. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the son of Medaglia d’Oro prompted the pace before weakening in the Gr. III Virginia Derby on turf at Colonial in his most recent start.

    My Purple Haze Stables’ Smart Strike is slated to seek to turn the tables on Amstrong Saturday after finishing second in the Not Surprising and third in the Bear’s Den.

    Like Oak Plantation’s Souper Blessing, who finished third on turf in a Woodbine stakes last time out; NBS Stable’s Anamnestic, a disqualified winner of the Juvenile for Florida-breds last fall who is coming off an optional claiming allowance win on Tapeta; and Love Me Not, the Bear’s Den runner-up; are other prominent contenders.

    The Showing Up is Race 10 an 11-race program.

    Reminder is scheduled to face seven other juveniles in the Armed Forces, which is carded as Race 5. After a pair of troubled trips while finishing third in his first two starts, the son of Audible stalked the pace before drawing clear in the stretch to graduate going away by 3 ¾ lengths under returning Edgard Zayas.

    “He’s training really good,” D’Angelo. “He’s training really beautifully. I think he will be tough in the stake.”

   Reminder is out of Mom’s Deputy, whose seven foals to race have all been winners, including $594,000 earner Mom’s On Strike, a multiple graded stakes-winner. comments powered by Disqus