Saffie Joseph

Though he won the 2022 GI Florida Derby with White Abarrio (Race Day), Saffie Joseph, Jr. isn't necessarily thought of as someone to fear on the roads to the GI Kentucky Oaks and GI Kentucky Derby. His bread and butter remains claimers and tough older horses like the now 5-year-old White Abbario and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), who won this year's GII Oaklawn Handicap and the GII Charles Town Classic Stakes. But that may be about to change. It's early yet and Todd Pletcher has yet to send his first string to...

About a year before Drayden Van Dyke won the GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint aboard Soul of An Angel (Atreides), no one would have thought he was about to win any sort of major race. His career in shambles, he went 5-for-136 in 2023, and he knew it would not be easy to bounce back. But the story changed. It's now about perseverance. Van Dyke is in Florida, getting ready for the Championship Meet at Gulfstream. His mental health has improved dramatically and, most importantly he is winning...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - If the 2024 racing season at Saratoga Race Course wrapped up Labor Day weekend, why are so many of the best horsemen in the country still sticking around? Overlooking the famed Oklahoma Training Track, and, at the moment, enveloped in bright fall foliage, the former home to 2023 Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) seems like a good place to start. "What did we win, five the last two years? That's not bad," Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said with a smile standing outside...

National Treasure (Quality Road), who gave eventual Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin) everything he could handle before going down grudgingly in last year's GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, will miss this year's event with a foot issue, Daily Racing Form reported Friday afternoon. Winner of this year's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and GI Metropolitan Handicap either side of a close fourth in the G1 Saudi Cup, the 4-year-old may have struggled with an off track when sixth to Arthur's Ride (Tapit) in the GI Whitney Stakes...

Repole Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light), expected to vie for favoritism in next Saturday's GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar, turned in his final breeze Friday ahead of the $7-million centerpiece of championship weekend, going a half-mile in :48.98 over the Oklahoma training track. With his regular work rider Danny Wright in the irons, the homebred began his work slightly behind a workmate, drew alongside at the entrance to the stretch and was in front at the line before galloping out five furlongs in 1:02 1/5....

Bellavinino (Get Stormy), a latest second in the $1-million Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes, brought a final bid of $170,000 from prominent owner/breeder Bill Heiligbrodt to top the Inglis Digital USA September Sale. Bred by Brian Burns's Mt Joy Stables Inc. the dark bay filly easily defeated $35,000 maiden claimers on Gulfstream Park debut July 28 ahead of a fourth in a $250,000 restricted allowance test at Kentucky Downs Aug. 29. Returned on 10 days' rest for the Juvenile Fillies, Bellavinino was always handy to the pace and overcame some...

White Abarrio (Race Day), the winner of the 2023 GI Breeders Cup Classic, is close to his first workout after being given a freshener by his connections. However, co-owner Mark Cornett reports that the now 5-year-old horse will not be ready in time to defend his title in this year's Breeders' Cup. "The Breeders' Cup Classic is not in our plans," Cornett said. "We're not going in that direction. There's no way he can be ready for that and we want to get a good race in him off this...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. collected his 10th Gulfstream Park training title in a row, while Edgard Zayas regained the top spot in the jockey standings when the Royal Palm Meet concluded Sunday. Joseph broke his own Royal Palm Meet record with 93 victories, eclipsing the 71 winners he sent out during the 2021 stand. Zayas, who won the Royal Palm Meet title in 2020 and 2021, was third in the standings in 2022 and 2023. During this year's meet, he regained the top spot in the standings with 112 winners. Ken...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.-Just the mere fact that a $3,500 yearling has won two races of any kind at Saratoga this summer, puts The Queens M G (Thousand Words) in a "that's impressive" category. In the GI Spinaway Stakes Saturday, she will try to add to her reputation by completing the rare sweep of the track's three stakes for 2-year-old fillies. The Queens M G scored in the 5 1/2-furlong Schuylerville Stakes, long the opening day feature, by 2 3/4 lengths at 44-1 July 11. She crushed the six-furlong GIII Adirondack...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Tuesday, trainer Ian Wilkes spent 12 hours driving from Kentucky to Saratoga Race Course. By the end of the day Saturday, he is hoping that the time he spent behind the wheel was worth it. Only his 3-year-old filly Just Basking (Arrogate) will be able to let him know if the journey was justified. Just Basking is one of eight 3-year-old fillies entered to run in the $600,000 GI Alabama Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga. "If you can't believe in your horse, you shouldn't...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - At 4 a.m. Thursday morning, trainer Kenny McPeek changed the game. With the prospect of stormy weather on the horizon courtesy of the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby, McPeek decided to move up the work of his star filly, Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna). So, instead of a Saturday breeze for Thorpedo Anna, she went five furlongs in :59.59 (1/4) on the Oklahoma Training Track with exercise rider Danny Ramsey at 5:30 a.m. Thursday morning. Thorpedo Anna is being pointed to the $1.25-million GI Travers Stakes at...

Bright Future (Curlin), a last out winner of the Salvator Mile Stakes at Monmouth June 15, posted his final work in preparation for next Saturday's GI Whitney, covering a half-mile in :48.75 (32/104) Saturday over the Saratoga Race Course main track. Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, last year's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes winner went in company with MGSW and Whitney possible Charge It (Tapit). "He worked well and I'm happy with him," Pletcher said. "Charge It also went well. I think Bright Future is training great and...