Tag: Saffie Joseph Jr.

Jackie's Warrior (right) held off Dream Shake to win last month's Pat Day Mile. Race fans would take a repeat of this stretch drive in Saturday's Grade 1 Woody Stephen Stakes at Belmont Park. (Image: Churchill Downs/Coady Photography)

One-Turn Doesn’t Mean One-Trick Ponies in This Woody Stephens

- 4 min read

Looking at the familiar names lining up for Saturday’s Grade 1 Woody Stephens at Belmont Park, it’s tempting to dismiss the seven-furlong sprint as a race for Triple Crown washouts, has-beens, and never-weres. Don’t. Instead, understand that not every horse is bred to go two turns. Understand that the Woody […]

Ny Traffic opened his 3-year-old campaign last January winning this Gulfstream Park allowance. He opened his 4-year-old season Sunday, winning a Belmont Park allowance by 6 1/2 lengths. (Image: Lauren King/Gulfstream Park)

Ny Traffic Returns With a Vengeance, Takes Apart Belmont Park Allowance

- 2 min read

Whatever rust Ny Traffic possessed during a seven-month layoff disappeared in less than 90 seconds on Sunday, when the colt dismantled a Belmont Park allowance field of New York-breds by 6 ½ lengths. The Cross Traffic progeny made his 4-year-old debut nearly seven months to the day after he finished […]

Mind Control owns seven victories and more than $1 million in career earnings. He's also the only one of the five Carter Handicap entries with a Grade 1 victory. (Image: Susie Raisher)

The Carter Handicap Knows Its Place on the Wood Memorial Undercard

- 3 min read

The Carter Handicap is that rare Grade 1 race sitting on an undercard featuring no other Grade 1s. But there it sits, the sixth race on Aqueduct’s Saturday card, almost an afterthought on Wood Memorial Day at the Big A. The $300,000, seven-furlong Carter, however, holds court as the first […]

In three races, Caddo River hasn't finished worse than second. He won his last race before Friday's Smarty Jones Stakes by more than a nose -- 9 1/2 lengths. (Image: Robert Yates)

Caddo River, Cowan Seeking Breakout Stakes Win in Smarty Jones

- 3 min read

One of the seven horses entered in Friday’s Smarty Jones Stakes will get his first stakes victory. It won’t be a graded stakes victory, but not one connection will throw this one back. Nor will they throw back the 17 Kentucky Derby qualifying points up for grabs to the top […]

Math Wizard, seen here winning the Pennsylvania Derby last year, is the only Grade 1 winner in the Charles Town Classic Field. He seeks his first victory since last September's Penn Derby win as the 3/1 favorite. (Image: Bill Denver/EQUI-PHOTO)

Hungry Millionaires Seek Elusive Form at Charles Town Classic

- 4 min read

There’s Math Wizard, Multiplier, Tenfold and Mr. Money, which makes Friday’s Grade 2 Charles Town Classic sound like either fifth-period math or an exercise in numbers. In their cases, it’s also an exercise in finding a heretofore elusive path to the winner’s circle. And in all but Multiplier’s case, the […]

Ny Traffic won't turn heads with blinding speed. But he usually turns exotic bettors into believers. He's the 7/2 third choice to win Saturday's Haskell Stakes. (Image: Ryan Thompson/Gulfstream Park)

Ny Traffic Seeking to Break Out of Pack at Haskell Stakes

- 3 min read

Unlike his namesake, Ny Traffic sits under the radar, repeatedly yielding the spotlight to sexier horses and sexier-named trainers. This version of Ny Traffic doesn’t make you late for dinner. And Saturday’s Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park falls right into Ny Traffic’s lane. There’s Bob Baffert’s Authentic as […]