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With the Angels much the best in $125K Joseph A. Gimma

by Keith McCalmont

With the Angels made every pole a winning one under Jose Ortiz to score by 9 3/4-lengths in Sunday’s $125,000 Joseph A. Gimma, a seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred juvenile fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice for owners Winning Move Stable, John C. Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford H. Robbins, the Omaha Beach dark bay entered from a sparkling 11 1/2-length debut score sprinting six-furlongs against fellow state-breds on August 22 at Saratoga Race Course.

Rice said she was pleased with the effort by With the Angels in her stakes debut as the prohibitive mutuel favorite, returning $2.20 for a $2 win bet.

“That is what I expected, but you are always a little nervous when you are one-to-nine,” Rice said.

Rice indicated the impressive score could result in With the Angels returning on short rest for the Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette on October 5 here, a one-turn mile offering a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Del Mar. A more cautious approach would be to point to the one-mile $200,000 Maid of the Mist against state-breds on October 27.

"Obviously we could've passed today and gone straight to the Frizette,” Rice said. “The door is open for the Frizette. We are just going to see how she comes out of it, if she's eating well, if she's sharp, that type of thing. We are going to consider the Frizette, but if we decide to back up and go to the Maid of the Mist, that is an option as well."

With the Angels broke alertly but outward from post 1-of-5 to immediately take command through a quarter-mile in 23.40 seconds with Valtellina stalking from second position and Carmen’s Candy Jar in third in front of She’s Our Tiz and Trail of Gold, who was squeezed back at the break, in last.

Ortiz sat chilly aboard With the Angels into the turn with the Dylan Davis-piloted Valtellina to her outside in second and the stakes-placed Carmen’s Candy Jar advancing with purpose up the rail under Irad Ortiz, Jr. as the half-mile elapsed in 47.17.

An in-hand With the Angels opened up by six lengths at the stretch call and cruised home to a facile score in a final time of 1:24.04 over the fast main track. Valtellina completed the exacta by one length over Carmen’s Candy Jar with Trail of Gold and She’s Our Tiz completing the order of finish.

Ortiz, aboard for the debut score, said With the Angels was even more impressive at second asking.

“She’s 2-years-old, and I felt like she got a lot done the first time. So, I was expecting to get something out of her a little bit [today] because she’s going to have to face better horses next time and in the future,” Ortiz said. “I wanted her to get something out of it today, and at the eighth pole I looked and nobody coming – just hand ride her, show her the whip a little bit and just ride her to the wire. Teach her that she needs to keep going. Maybe she’ll show up in the Frizette in two weeks. She’s nice, very happy with her today.”

Davis said the Ray Handal-trained Valtellina, a debut winner against fellow state-breds in August at the Spa, performed admirably in her stakes debut.

“She was traveling really nicely into the turn,” Davis said. “I thought maybe because she [With the Angels] was coming from six furlongs that maybe she’d get a little short, so I was trying to keep my filly in tracking mode nicely just in case, but she was much the best. She [Valtellina] was second best, and kept up well, so maybe she’s looking for more ground. She’s a great filly, this was only her second start, and she’s already running in stakes company and performed well.”

With the Angels, initially purchased for $65,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Preferred New York-bred Yearling Sale, was bought by agent Justin Casse for $350,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 9.4.

Rice said the debut effort only confirmed what the talented filly had demonstrated in her training.

“I knew when we ran her at Saratoga that it wasn't a prep, she was going to show up and she was brilliant,” Rice said. “She was brilliant in the morning, and I had no reservations that it wouldn't turn out well. She certainly delivered."

With the Angels, bred by Joseph DeRico, is out of the winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret. Her second dam is the multiple stakes-winning Disco Rico mare Dance Gal Dance, who won 6-of-9 starts led by four New York-bred stakes wins.

Live racing resumes Thursday at the Big A with an eight-race card headlined by the $125,000 John Hettinger in Race 6. First post is 1:05 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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