Gulfstream Park

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman), multiple graded stakes winners trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., breezed at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in preparation for scheduled starts in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 27. Skippylongstocking and O'Connor were joined on the worktab at Gulfstream Park's satellite training facility by Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who is on the reserve invitational list for the Pegasus World Cup. Skippylongstocking breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.25 (1/21) ahead of his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders'...

4th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 6f, 1:38 p.m. ET. Bred by Stonehaven Steadings & Leah O'Meara, LESLIE'S HUMOR (Kantharos) makes the races for LSU Stables. Initially sold for $125,000 at the Keeneland September Sale, the chestnut RNA'd for $110,000 at OBS April before going for $500,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale in June. The second to race for La Titina (Distorted Humor), the 3-year-old filly's younger half-brother by Not This Time was purchased for $310,000 last September at Keeneland by Hartley/De Renzo Thoroughbreds. Granddam and MGISW Ask the Moon (Malibu...

6th-GP, $89k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, post time: 2:39 p.m. ET TURN UP THE TREES (Liam's Map) cost $100,000 as a foal at the 2021 Keeneland November Sale before St. Elias Stable paid $500,000 for the bay at Keeneland September less than a year later, the fourth-priciest of 58 of his sire's yearlings sold in 2022. A son of the Grade III-placed Clearbrook (Smart Strike), Turn Up the Trees descends from the family of stallions Sky Mesa and Bernstein. Sicilian Defense (Uncle Mo) is a maternal grandson of GSW/GISP Molto Vita...

5th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-11, 3yo, f, 5f (AWT) (off turf), :55.37, ft, 3 3/4 lengths. PRETTY LIAM (f, 3, Liam's Map--Sylphide, by Blame) debuted as the 7-2 second choice with first time Lasix here. The homebred tracked just to the inside of favorite Beanpot (Into Mischief) as the leader clocked a quarter in :21.77. Cutting to the outside just before the top of the lane, the 3-year-old unleashed a barrage down the center of the course and won over the pacesetter by 3 3/4 lengths. The winner is a half-sister...

6th-GP, $91k, AOC, 3yo, f, 7f, post time 2:39 p.m. ET LESLIE'S ROSE (Into Mischief) cost Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill Farm $1.15 million at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale, and despite going off at a somewhat lukewarm 9-2 facing five others at Aqueduct Nov. 19, graduated by better than nine lengths over 6 1/2 furlongs en route to 'TDN Rising Star' honors. The St. Patrick's Day foal is out of a daughter of SW & MGSP Wildwood Flower (Langfuhr), the dam of GI Florida Derby-winning 'Rising Star' Materiality (Afleet...

Into Champagne (Into Mischief) debuted a 6 3/4-length winner last summer and achieved 'TDN Rising Star' status for her efforts when the Churchill Downs meet was forced to shift to Ellis Park. Returning to the worktab in early November after nearly a five-month break, the filly was well-backed as the 3-5 choice. Tracking Let Them Watch (Maximus Mischief) from the second flight along the rail, the 3-year-old bided her time under a firm hold into the far turn. With a half-mile of :45.91, at the quarter pole the bay uncorked...

10th-GP, $89K, Msw, 3yo, f, 1mT, 4:34 p.m. ET. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has a pair of newly-minted 3-year-old fillies heading to the post for their debuts over the turf in the Sunday finale in Hallandale. First, EL MEGEETH (Constitution) makes her first start for Shadwell Stable. Bred by Three Chimneys, the $750,000 Keeneland September purchase is out of Amour d'Ete (Tiznow), who Borges Torrealba Holdings acquired as the third topper at the same sale back in 2013 for $1.75 million. Her most notable produce is GI Preakness...

7th-Gulfstream, $72,000, Alw (NW1X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-5, 3yo, 1 1/16m, 1:44.55, ft, neck. CHANGE OF COMMAND (c, 3, Into Mischief--Moi, by Medaglia d'Oro) made steady improvement over a trio of maiden attempts during the NYRA meets starting in late August--the last coming with a runner-up result at Aqueduct Nov. 4. Heading to Gulfstream, the bay found his stride to graduate by 6 1/2 lengths Dec. 17. Trying two turns for the first time, the 11-10 choice paced himself into the first turn just off of Cardinale (Speightstown). Shadowing the leader,...

For Chantal Sutherland, it started out as a freakish accident. She rode Haruki (Karakontie {Jpn}) in the May 6 English Channel S. at Gulfstream and as the horses were pulling up she encountered a bunch of geese who were crossing over the turf course. Spooked by the birds, the horse stopped abruptly and sling shotted Sutherland to the ground. The result was that she broke the humerus bone completely off from her shoulder. She said that her left arm snapped at the base of the shoulder and that it went...

Trainers Brad Cox, Bob Baffert and Todd Pletcher all have victories to their credit in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. and each of the three champion trainers will have an opportunity to add to those numbers in this year's $3-million feature Saturday, Jan. 27 at Gulfstream Park. Cox, who won the the 2021 renewal with Knicks Go (Paynter), looks set to be represented by a pair of entrants in the nine-furlong contest. Saudi Crown (Always Dreaming), front-running winner of the GI Pennsylvania Derby last September, will seek to...

Born Noble (c, 2, Constitution--Zapperkat, by Ghostzapper) was as green as the St. Elias Stable silks he was carrying, but overcame his inexperience with a powerful 'TDN Rising Star' performance for Todd Pletcher at first asking in the opener on Pegasus Preview day at Gulfstream Park. The 6-5 favorite jumped well from his outside draw and secured a perfect spot in second behind second-time starter and 6-5 second-choice Bonus Move (Twirling Candy). Born Noble cruised up alongside the pacesetter at the five-sixteenths marker and took over with authority at the...

Gulfstream Park's Saturday program will offer four stakes races-- three graded--including the GIII Harlan's Holiday S., a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and the GII Fort Lauderdale S., a prep for the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. The Harlan's Holiday drew a field of 11, including last out GII Hagyard Fayette S. winner and 5-2 morning-line favorite O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman); last year's GII Remsen S. winner Dubyuhnell (Good Magic), who returned from the shelf with an optional claiming win at Keeneland Oct. 28; and the streaking...