Soul of an Angel May Have Found New Calling in Rooney

When C2 Racing Stable and Agave Racing Stable purchased Soul of an Angel this spring, the plan was to run the 5-year-old Atreides mare in shorter races. That idea had to wait after she won the one-mile Ruffian Stakes (G2) in her first start for her new owners and trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. But following three tries at 1 1/16 miles and longer against the top of the older female division, Joseph got back to his original plan and entered Soul of an Angel in the seven-furlong $210,000 Princess Rooney Invitational Stakes (G3) Sept. 21 at Gulfstream Park. As a Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race, the Rooney grants the winner an automatic fees-paid berth to the $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) Nov. 2 at Del Mar. Despite a very slow start Saturday at Gulfstream, the plan worked. Coming from dead last and under a ride early from Drayden Van Dyke, Soul of an Angel tipped wide in the lane and rallied out in the middle of the track with ground-devouring strides. She won going away by 3 1/4 lengths. Final time for seven furlongs on the fast dirt was 1:23.23. "She didn't necessarily break bad, but she just wasn't as quick as the others," Van Dyke said. "Saffie said, 'Just keep her as close as you can,' but we were last by a ways. He said, 'Try to save as much ground as you can if you can go inside.' That's what we did, and she had a helluva kick." Next up for Soul of an Angel—the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, going seven furlongs at Del Mar. "We're going to give her time off now. She's not Breeders' Cup nominated, but we're going to pay that fee to do that. Her entry fee is paid for with this, so we're going to go there for sure," said Mark Cornett, who along with his brother Clint are the principles of C2 Racing, which won last year's Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) as co-owners of White Abarrio. Beth's Dream finished second and had her four-race win streak snapped. It was another 2 1/2 lengths back to third-place Battle Cry. Soul of an Angel was bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables. She failed to sell on final bid of $3,000 at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearling Sale. Now a winner of five of 40 starts, she has earned $672,675.