Saffie Joseph

White Abarrio (Race Day--Catching Diamonds, by Into Mischief), winner of the 2023 GI Breeders' Cup Classic, will join the stallion roster at Gainesway following the conclusion of his racing career, co-owner C2 Racing Stable announced via X Thursday morning. "Racing fans, we're absolutely thrilled to share that White Abarrio will enter stud at Gaineswsay Farm in Lexington, Ky after his racing career. Before he heads to the Bluegrass, he'll run next in the Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs," the tweet read. Already the winner of four Grade I events and...

With the announcement that Golden Tempo (Curlin) will be skipping the GI Preakness Stakes, the GI Kentucky Derby winner's jockey Jose Ortiz has picked up the mount on Chip Honcho (Connect) in the May 16 Classic. Ortiz rode the Steve Asmussen-trained colt to his maiden win at Churchill Downs last November. Paco Lopez rode the colt to victory in the Dec. 20 Gun Runner Stakes and Luis Saez was aboard for his runner-up effort in the Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes and fifth-place finish in the Mar. 21 GII...

The winner of the GIII Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park, Silent Tactic (Tacitus) has scratched from the GI Kentucky Derby after battling a bruised foot according to his trainer Mark Casse on Wednesday morning. The defection allowed Great White (Volatile) into the big race where he will carry the number 21. DRF was the first to report the story. Silent Tactic, a colt owned by John Oxley, was dealing with a sore foot before the GI Arkansas Derby. He came to Churchill Downs after serving as the runner-up to Renegade...

Saffie Joseph, Jr. captured his 15th consecutive leading trainer title at Gulfstream Park with the conclusion of the track's Championship Meet Sunday, while Irad Ortiz Jr. finished as leading rider at the meet for a fourth straight time and a record-extending seventh time overall. It was the fifth straight Championship Meet title for Joseph, a 39-year-old native of Barbados whose string of success dates back to Gulfstream's 2021 Royal Palm stand. He had 45 wins and more than $4.7 million in purse earnings during the 72-day stand. "Obviously my name...

Taj Mahal (Nyquist), two-for-two after winning the Miracle Wood Stakes at Laurel Feb. 21, is expected to make his next start in the Apr. 4 GII Wood Memorial, Tom Ryan of co-owner SF Racing confirmed Sunday. "The notion is he'll take his shot in the Wood Memorial," Ryan said. "He's done nothing wrong so far, and he's ran himself up the ladder while improving his numbers. He's got some nice time in between after his first two starts were close together. I personally believe the distance is not going to...

2nd-CNL, $80k, OC 62k/N1X, 3yo, 1m, 1:00 p.m. ET. Code Review (Uncle Mo) takes on winners for the first time after delivering a 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' performance at first asking going six furlongs at Gulfstream Park Jan. 25. The full-brother to the ill-fated GII Jim Dandy S. winner Laoban earned a 78 Beyer Speed Figure for the front-running victory. He fired a four-furlong bullet in :46 4/5 (1/63) at Gulfstream Mar. 1. Code Review, a $200,000 FTKNOV weanling turned $575,000 KEESEP yearling, is campaigned in partnership by...

Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), who acted up badly on the plane that was meant to transport him to California for Saturday's GI Santa Anita Handicap and was subsequently scratched, is possible for one of two races over the coming weeks. "I always look at it as everything happens for a reason. No regrets," said trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who saddles three horses in Saturday's Barbados Gold Cup in his native country. "He'll probably run at Oaklawn in the Essex, or he'll run at Gulfstream in the Ghostzapper. I'm going to...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for this weekend's trio of GI Kentucky Derby preps--Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park and GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct and Sunday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. - Commandment (Into Mischief) is a deserving favorite and the horse to beat in this absolutely loaded renewal of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth. He kicked off the New Year in style, splitting horses at the top of the stretch en route to a...

Looking to take his career record to a perfect three wins from as many visits to the races, Chris Fountoukis's SOLITUDE DUDE (c, 3, Yaupon--After the Party, by Into Mischief) made every yard to record his second career stakes success in Saturday's Swale Stakes at Gulfstream Park. Off to a smart beginning from the outside gate in a compact field of six, the $300,000 OBS June breezer came across his rivals but was purposely kept in about the three path, going the first couple of furlongs in a hasslefree :23.30,...

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. finished 1-2 in last weekend's GI Pegasus World Cup with Skippylongstocking and White Abarrio. He joined this week's TDN Writers' Room to talk about the impressive achievement.

Stablemates Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and White Abarrio (Race Day) exited their one-two finish in Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational in good shape and connections are still contemplating next moves for the 7-year-olds, according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "Nothing's signed yet. Just talking it over briefly, something like the GII Oaklawn Handicap comes into play for one of them," Joseph said. "And also the G1 Dubai World Cup. But nothing's really been decided yet. We're going to sleep on it and then decide." The Oaklawn Handicap will be run at...

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) are on target for assignments on Jan. 24 Pegasus Day following stakes wins at Gulfstream Park Saturday. Skippylongstocking rebounded from a pair of off-the-board efforts to win the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes, a prep for the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and should improve for the effort, according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. "We didn't know if he was fit enough to be back to his best. He showed he was training well. [Saturday] he had to come and do it. Thank God,...