Bentornato
Dark Bay or Brown Ridgling / March 22nd, 2021 in FL / by Valiant Minister out of Her Special Way
$400,000
2026 earnings
121
speed figure
0%
2026 wins
racing Record
2026 Stats
Career Stats
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0
Firsts
7
1
Seconds
3
0
Thirds
2
0
Unplaced
0
1
Starts
12
$400,000
Earnings
$2,722,180
$400,000
Earnings / Start
$226,848
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Bio
Bentornato began his career with a win in his 2-year-old career debut in a Florida-bred maiden race going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on July 1, 2023. He then promptly proceeded to reel off three sprint stakes wins in a row in the $90,000 Proud Man Stakes and the $100,000 Florida Stallion Dr Fager Stakes and then in the $200,000 Florida Stallion Affirmed division stakes on Oct. 21. He ended his juvenile campaign with a third-place finish in the $300,000 Florida In Reality division on Dec. 2.
Bentornato began his career with a win in his 2-year-old career debut in a Florida-bred maiden race going five furlongs at Gulfstream Park on July 1, 2023. He then promptly proceeded to reel off three sprint stakes wins in a row in the $90,000 Proud Man Stakes and the $100,000 Florida Stallion Dr Fager Stakes and then in the $200,000 Florida Stallion Affirmed division stakes on Oct. 21. He ended his juvenile campaign with a third-place finish in the $300,000 Florida In Reality division on Dec. 2.
Bentornato began his 2024 campaign in Saudi Arabia, where he earned a third-place finish in the Group 3 $1,500,000 Saudi Derby going one mile on Feb. 24. After that he returned to the United States and later became a graded stakes winner for the first time with a victory in the Grade 2 $400,000 Gallant Bob Stakes going six furlongs at Parx on Sept. 21. That victory earned Bentornato a trip to the 2024 Breeders' Cup Sprint where Bentornato finished second behind Straight No Chaser.
Following the 2024 Breeders' Cup, Bentornato was given nine months off between races but was pointed all along toward a return trip to the Breeders' Cup Sprint. Bentornato made his 2025 debut back on the racetrack in the $267,000 Louisville Thoroughbred Society Stakes on Sept. 13 at Churchill Downs where she earned an impressive 5 1/4-length victory.
With just one 2025 prep race in his back pocket, Bentornato was ready for a return engagement in his ultimate goal in the 2025 Cygames Breeders' Cup Sprint. His prep win at Churchill Downs was impressive enough to make him the 1.70-1 favorite in a 14-horse field in the Sprint on Nov. 1 at Del Mar. Bentornato proved to be the real deal and would not be denied. He battled for the lead on the backstretch, assumed command in front into the far turn and turned on the jets in the stretch to score the 2 1/4-length win under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
In his first start of 2026, Bentornato was favored in international pari-mutuel pools when contesting the March 28 Dubai Golden Shaheen Sponsored By Nakheel at Meydan Racecourse. He ran well but was second-best to Dark Saffron, who scored a repeat victory in the sprint race.
Bentornato is trained by Jose D'Angelo. He was bred in Florida by the sire Valliant Minister out of the mare Her Special Way by Put it Back.
