Skippylongstocking

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....

Sportsmen Stable, Parkland Thoroughbreds, Photos Finish, Corms Racing Stable and trainer Jorge Abreu's Grade I-winner Scottish Lassie (McKinzie) worked Sunday at Belmont Park in preparation for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Nov. 1 at Del Mar. The 2-year-old filly was among the first to breeze after the training track reopened at 7:30 a.m., and was guided through her exercise by jockey Jose Lezcano, who piloted her to victory last out to the graduate in the GI Frizette Stakes Oct. 5. Scottish Lassie worked outside of Jody's Pride (American Pharoah),...

Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) breezed a half mile in :49.90 over the Oklahoma dirt training track Sunday in preparation for a start in the Sept. 28 GII Woodward at Belmont at the Big A. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 5-year-old won three graded stakes this season, including last time out in the GII Charles Town Classic on Aug. 23. "It's a good spot for him and he's doing well at Saratoga, so it's not too long of a ship," Joseph, Jr. said. "He just seems to keep getting better....

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) gave trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. a sweep of Friday's graded events at Charles Town, leading every step of the way to successfully defend his title in the $1-million GII Charles Town Classic. Sent off the 11-10 chalk to become the fourth two-time winner and third back-to-back winner of West Virginia's richest horse race, the likeable bay was kicked straight into the lead by Jose Ortiz and dictated terms in advance of Frosted Departure (Frosted)--who was not ridden forward as is his custom--through fractions of :24.15 and :47.88. Ortiz...

Friday is shaping up to be quite a stakes-laden slate as the rescheduled King's Plate card from last weekend at Woodbine joins the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga and a pair of pricey Grade IIs from Charles Town. TDN's full coverage of the races that were forced to move because of a deluge in Toronto can be found in Patrycja Szpyra's preview, plus a piece on the King's Plate by Bill Finley. As for the Spa feature, it boasts a set of intriguing match-ups between four of the runners...

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...

It's a Grade I bonanza Saturday afternoon at Saratoga Race Course, as the track plays host to a trio of elite-level races--short and long, turf and dirt. The richest of the three events is the $1-million Whitney Stakes, offering the winner a fees-paid berth into the GI Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar on the first Saturday of November. National Treasure (Quality Road) is the 9-5 favorite on David Aragona's morning line and can further tighten his grip on the handicap division with a victory. The $500,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling...

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...

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.--In his last eight starts, Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) has run at eight different racetracks. If trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. chooses the $1 million GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga Race Course for the 5-year-old's next start, it will be nine. Joseph said he is mulling over what is next for Skippy, who was last seen finishing third--missing second by a head--in the GI Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs on June 29. That was his first start since winning the GII Oaklawn Handicap on April 20. Besides the Whitney, Joseph...

With the Breeders' Cup a little over four months away, the 'Win and You're In' tickets to the signature event, the GI Longines Classic, are definitely numbered. The road to Del Mar currently goes through Churchill Downs on Saturday as Classic hopefuls enter the starting gate for the GI Stephen Foster Stakes. Looking to punch his ticket to the seaside oval is Godolphin homebred First Mission (Street Sense). The 'TDN Rising Star' certainly burned brightest when he took home the GIII Essex Handicap by five lengths at Oaklawn Park in...

Proxy (Tapit) provided Godolphin with its first winner of the GII Oaklawn H. just 12 months ago and the progressive Highland Falls (Curlin) has legitimate claims to double that tally when he squares off with 10 others in the nine-furlong contest. Trained by Brad Cox--who somewhat surprisingly has never saddled an Oaklawn H. winner--the homebred son of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff upsetter Round Pond (Awesome Again) won three of his first four trips to the post in maiden and allowance company back east and was scarcely disgraced last time in...