Saffie Joseph Jr.

Saffie Joseph, Jr., the leading trainer at the current meet at Gulfstream Park, has been suspended for 15 days and fined $500 by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission after his trainee Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie) tested positive for the substance Gabapentin after her win in the GII Presque Isle Downs Masters S. on Sept. 19, 2022 at Presque Isle Downs. The story was first reported by the Paulick Report. According to the website Equinews.com, "Gabapentin has been used in horses for many years, and is often prescribed as adjunct therapy...

As the 3-year-olds line up to duke it out for next season's older- horse honors, Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) proved he's rounding back into form at just the right time when taking GII Harlan's Holiday S., the local prep for next year's GI Pegasus World Cup. A consistent presence on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year, Skippylongstocking was always right there in the year's biggest races--third to Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) in both the GII Wood Memorial S. and the GI Belmont S. and fifth behind Early Voting (Gun Runner) in...

BALTIMORE, MD--In the continued lead up to Saturday's GI Preakness S., the intensity in the air, as well as the increasing media presence, grew noticeably denser Thursday morning at Pimlico. A couple of groups of fans could be seen milling around the Stakes Barn area, in addition to large clusters of media hoping to get in their final interviews in before a jam-packed weekend of racing. Drawing a gaggle of reporters and interested onlookers, morningline favorite Epicenter (Not This Time), who continued with his usual routine and went out for...

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who captured Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby with White Abarrio (Race Day), earned his first Championship Meet title at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Joseph closed out the meet with 58 winners, 12 victories ahead of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the defending 18-time titlist. "Most definitely the Florida Derby was the icing on the cake. The Championship Meet title also means a lot. I grew up watching Todd my whole life. He's dominated for 18 years now. I'm 35 now. To take over from him after...

White Abarrio (Race Day) came out of his victory in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby in fine shape and will now be aimed at the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Sunday. "He was further back than we envisioned and to see him be able to sit back that far off the pace and make his move, it gives you a lot of confidence, because you know he can run close to the pace and now sit back and be as effective," Joseph said of his charge's Florida...

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL--With no heavy favorite, the GI Curlin Florida Derby looked like it would likely go one of four ways on paper. The three winners of the four Florida-based GI Kentucky Derby preps--Simplification (Not This Time), White Abarrio (Race Day) and Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway)--were 2-1, 5-2 and 7-2, respectively, and 'TDN Rising Star' Charge It (Tapit), a flashy maiden winner hailing from the Todd Pletcher barn, was dispatched at 3-1. While all four of those runners were a factor in this event, it was C2 Racing Stable's White...

In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar. After bringing $325,000 from John Fort's Peachtree Stable at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings Showcase, the expectations were always high for Cape Trafalgar (c, 3, Lord Nelson--Goldrush Girl, by Political Force), who kicked off his career with an encouraging second-place finish on debut at Gulfstream Mar. 12 (video). "He had trained extremely well, but we had a couple of setbacks," Fort said. "I honestly believe that if we...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 1st-AQU, $80K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6 1/2f, 1:20 p.m. WITH BELLS ON (American Pharoah) starts her career for owners Bass Stables LLC and Cheyenne Stables after realizing $300,000 at the 2020 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. The dam, a juvenile stakes winner on the turf by Giant's Causeway, has already produced two winners on the dirt including Princess Mo (Uncle Mo). Second dam Marylebone (Unbridled's Song) was also a stakes winning juvenile, taking the GI Matron S. Trainer Todd Pletcher is 11-36 over the last five...

C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio (Race Day), a well-beaten third most recently in the GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 27, pressed, pounced and pulled away to dominate by 4 1/2 lengths in Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream. Expected pacesetter Simplification (Not This Time), a last out, front-running winner of the Mucho Macho Man S., completely missed the break, made a big sweeping move and did very well to hold second over favored GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo). "It was a...

Trainer Mike Maker racked up his series-leading 19th career Claiming Crown victory, conditioner Saffie Joseph Jr. won three of the stakes conducted under starter-allowance conditions, and jockey Paco Lopez won five races overall on the Saturday card to kick off the championship meet at Gulfstream Park. The Claiming Crown began in 1999 as a blue-collar version of the Breeders' Cup to reward primarily older horses who compete in the types of races that form the backbone of day-to-day American racing. But oddly enough, it was a lightly-raced 3-year-old homebred who...

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 8th-GP, $55K, Msw, 2yo, 7f, 4:02 p.m. ET Some two years after his half-brother Spun to Run (Hard Spun) dominated the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile, Sabana Farm homebred Practical Way (Practical Joke) makes his debut for trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. Also responsible for stakes winner Tap It All (Tapizar), SW dam Yawkey Way (Grand Slam) sold to Gainesway and Whisper Hill Farm for $600,000 last Keeneland November while carrying a full brother to Spun to Run. Joseph will also send out A. P.'s Secret...

Mischevious Alex (Into Mischief--White Pants Night, by Speightstown), the romping 5 1/2-length winner of this year's GI Carter H. at Aqueduct, will enter stud in 2022 at the Shizunai Stallion Station on the island of Hokkaido, according to a release from the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association (JBBA). Bred in Kentucky by WinStar Farm, Mischevious Alex was a $75,000 Keeneland September yearling and was acquired privately by Charles Zacney's Cash Is King LLC after failing to meet his reserve at $140,000 at OBS April in 2019. A debut winner at Parx...