Saffie Joseph Jr.

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...

Florida champion Chance It (Currency Swap--Vagabon Diva, by Pleasantly Perfect) sustained a soft tissue injury in Saturday's GII Kelso H. and has been retired to stand at Journeyman Stud in Ocala. His fee has not been announced for 2022. "We're excited to stand Chance It here at Journeyman next year. He is a beloved Florida-bred racehorse that displayed tons of talent. Had he not got injured, I'm sure he would have annexed at least one Grade I stake before he was finished," Journeyman's Brent Fernung said. "Chance It won from...

Edgard Zayas and Saffie Joseph, Jr. concluded the Spring/Summer Meet at Gulfstream Park Sunday as the leading jockey and trainer, respectively. Zayas, who was winning his third straight Spring/Summer riding title at the Florida oval, finished with 124 wins. "I have to thank all the owners, all the trainers for all their support all the time," said Zayas, whose meet was punctuated by his victory aboard Bill Mott-trained Outfoxed (Valiant Minister) in Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl S. "I also want to thank my agent [Tito Fuentes] and my family....

Drain the Clock (c, 3, Maclean's Music--Manki, by Arch) outslugged favored Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) by a neck to lead home a one-two finish for his sire in a thrilling renewal of the GI Woody Stephens S. at Belmont Park Saturday. It was 7 1/4 lengths back to Nova Rags (Union Rags) in third. With Jose Ortiz subbing for his sidelined brother Irad Ortiz, Jr., the last out GIII Bay Shore S. winner broke sharply and very briefly cleared the field of six. Jackie's Warrior, off a step slowly after...

Korea Racing Authority's Knicks Go (Paynter) will try to return to his winning ways Saturday in Belmont's GI Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan H., a 'Win and You're In' event for the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar this fall. Riding a four-race unbeaten streak, including the GI Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Mile in November and the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 23, the grey finished fourth most recently behind Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}) in the Feb. 20 GI Saudi Cup. "We had to contend with...

Godolphin's unbeaten 'TDN Rising Star' Prevalence (Medaglia d'Oro) recorded his final breeze ahead of Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S. presented by Resorts World Casino, covering a half mile in a best-of-30 :47.60 at Palm Meadows Sunday morning. "He worked here this morning at Palm Meadows and it went very well and he's flying up there [to Aqueductus] on Wednesday," said conditioner Brendan Walsh. "It looks like he's going into the race in good shape. It's another step now, so we'll find out if he can go the two turns as...

Greatest Honour (Tapit) rides a three-race win streak heading into the GI Curlin Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park, however, the Courtlandt Farm homebred certainly hasn't scared anyone away as 10 other sophomores have also signed on in Saturday's Classic prep. A large part of the draw is that the Florida Derby will offer 170 qualifying points for the May 1 Kentucky Derby on a 100-40-20-10 basis. The 1 1/8-mile test has produced the winners of 60 Triple Crown events. The imposing bay kicked off his career with a trio of...

A Triple Crown winner in his native Barbados, Saffie Joseph Jr. took his first shot at America's Classics in 2020 with GISP Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who failed to hit the board in both the GI Kentucky Derby and GI Preakness S. last fall before heading to the sidelines for the remainder of the season. Fast forward to 2021, Joseph returns to the Triple Crown trail with another exciting prospect in Three Chimneys Farm and eFive Racing's Collaborate (Into Mischief), who is slated to contest Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby...

Three Chimneys Farm and e Five Racing Thoroughbreds' Collaborate (Into Mischief), last seen with a 'TDN Rising Star' graduation at Gulfstream Feb. 27, tuned up for an expected start in the Mar. 27 GI Curlin Florida Derby with a sharp four-furlong work in :47.05 (1/51) at the Hallandale oval Sunday. He worked in company with Sound Machine (Into Mischief), a 4-year-old stakes-winning filly. "He showed great progression today. He's always been a good work horse," trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. "He worked with Sound Machine. She was a little keen...