DEL MAR, Calif. - Figuratively speaking, It wasn’t your typical I-405 trip for Soul of an Angel on Saturday after she rallied unimpeded from somewhere near the City of Angels to upset Del Mar’s Grade 1, $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at seven furlongs. After Soul of an Angel defeated last year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff runner-up Randomized in the Grade 2 Ruffian contested over a mile at Aqueduct on May 4, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had an inkling that the 5-year-old mare might be more effective in longer sprints and one-turn routes than in true distance tests. That idea became a reality at Del Mar on Saturday when Soul of an Angel took advantage of a quick pace and an inside-out closer’s trip to pull off a $41.60 upset. Following the Ruffian, the big-money races were at longer distances, and after Soul of an Angel ran second, beaten a head by champion Idiomatic in Monmouth’s Grade 3 Molly Pitcher on July 20, Joseph decided to go for one more huge pot, this time against Idiomatic, Randomized, and Raging Sea in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign contested over nine furlongs at Saratoga on June 8. Soul of an Angel ran fine in the Personal Ensign when a well-beaten third, but Joseph decided he was then going to test his distance theory by turning his charge back to seven furlongs for the Grade 3 Princess Rooney at Gulfstream Park, a Win and You’re In for the Filly and Mare Sprint. :: Get Breeders' Cup Betting Strategies from Brad Free and David Aragona for exclusive wager recommendations and play the races with confidence! Last of nine early in the Princess Rooney, Soul of an Angel uncorked a powerful late kick that cemented Joseph’s opinion regarding her true distance abilities. “Definitely much better one turn,” Joseph said after the Princess Rooney. “The race with Idiomatic, it was a slow pace. It didn’t really test the stamina as much, so she ran well. But, in a true-tested stamina race, two turns isn’t her thing.” Soul of an Angel certainly got the pace setup she desired in the Filly and Mare Sprint as Pleasant and Society dueled through fractions of 21.94 and 44.92 with Scylla perched just off the leaders in a three-wide tracking position. The field started to bunch nearing the quarter pole with Pleasant hanging tough on the rail, favored Ways and Means splitting horses two wide, Society drifting three paths off the lead and Scylla looming four deep. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke saved ground in the early going with Soul of an Angel, and they raced an official 12 lengths off the lead after the opening two furlongs. He gradually maneuvered his mount to the far outside, but they still had work to do at the three-sixteenths pole. Society and Pleasant continued their battle inside the final half-furlong as Scylla started to hang after bumping with Society. Finally, Soul of an Angel kicked into her final gear, and she drove home a half-length better than a gallant Society. Pleasant, making her stakes debut for trainer Bob Baffert, was a nose behind in third with Scylla another half-length back in fourth. Then came favored Ways and Means, who was beaten just a bit more than a length for all the money. One Magic Philly, Zeitlos, Vahva, and slow-breaking Frost At Dawn completed the order of finish. Despite looking dappled out and fit in the paddock, Soul of an Angel was dismissed as the second-longest shot in the field. She covered the distance in 1:21.59 over the fast main track and gave Joseph his first win in a Breeders’ Cup race. She earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 98. Bred in Kentucky by Westbrook Stables, Soul of an Angel is by Atreides out of an unplaced half-sister to Grade 1 Champagne Stakes winner Homeboykris. She made the first 35 starts of her career for trainer Gerald James with her biggest victory in the $100,000 Mari Hulman George Memorial Handicap at Horseshoe Indianapolis last year. Privately purchased earlier this year by C2 Racing Stable and Agave Racing Stable, Soul of an Angel was transferred to Joseph’s barn, and the Ruffian was her first start for the new connections. Interesting enough, C2 Racing moved White Abarrio out of Joseph’s barn and to trainer Rick Dutrow’s shed row three starts before that horse captured last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic. Soul of an Angel’s victory was especially meaningful for jockey Drayden Van Dyke. The champion apprentice rider of 2014, Van Dyke won both the summer and fall riding titles at Del Mar in 2018. That year, Van Dyke piloted Stormy Liberal to win the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint. Van Dyke’s business cratered last year, however, as he won only five races from 136 starts. In 2024, Van Dyke moved his tack to Gulfstream, and he began teaming with Joseph, the tandem winning 20 of 77 together. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports “What Saffie did for me, bringing me out there [to Gulfstream], it’s just fitting for me to get this win for him and all the connections,” Van Dyke said. “They were able to give me a big shot coming out [here]. It's amazing. I've won two titles here, I've won seven [races] in one day here. This is my favorite place to be anywhere in the world. It's amazing to do what I did here and get another Breeders' Cup win.”  Overall, Soul of an Angel has won 6 times from 41 starts for lifetime earnings of $1,192,675. The Filly and Mare Sprint was the first Grade 1 win of her career. Soul of an Angel failed to meet her reserve as a yearling when bought back for $3,000 in 2020 but will likely sell for a whole lot more when she goes through the auction ring at Fasig-Tipton on Monday evening. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.