Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking parlayed a dream trip into a solid victory in Saturday’s $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) at Gulfstream Park, virtually clinching a berth in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) at the Hallandale Beach track Jan. 28.
O’Connor, a stablemate in the Saffie Joseph Jr. stable who was favored at 6-5 in the stakes for 3-year-olds and up, finished a disappointing fourth.
Skippylongstocking ($8.40) provided jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. with a record 50th graded-stakes victory in 2022 on the New Year’s Eve card that included six stakes (five graded), co-headlined by the Harlan’s Holiday, a prep for the Pegasus World Cup, and the $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G2), a prep for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), also on Jan. 28.
“It was a game effort by Skippy. He’s a horse that tries and he runs hard,” said Joseph, who is training Florida Derby (G1) winner White Abarrio up to Pegasus. “O’Connor disappointed. He’s better than that. He’s much, much better than that. Seeing how the race unfolded and the speed kept going around, maybe that was it, but I can’t really buy that. He made up ground and hit a flat spot. Hopefully, he comes out well, and we’d like to give him a chance in the Pegasus also.”
Skippylongstocking broke alertly to closely monitor the pace set by Pioneer of Medina around the first turn before bobbling briefly at the top of the backstretch. The son of Exaggerator recovered quickly to put pressure on the Todd Pletcher-trained pacesetter, who put of fractions of 23.75 and 47 seconds for the first half-mile. Irad Ortiz Jr. asked his long-striding mount for a kick, and the Kentucky-bred 3-year-old obliged with a steady run through the stretch to score comfortably by two lengths..
Pioneer of Medina fought back after being passed in mid-stretch by a stalking Simplification to finish second by a neck. O’Connor, who raced in fifth on the backstretch was eased off the rail by jockey Edgard Zayas in the backstretch to launch a bid, but the Chilean Group 1 winner never made an impact while settling for fourth, beaten by 4 ¼ lengths by his stablemate.
“I was planning to break out of there running because of the post position and try and get a good position, and then when it was time to make a move try to make it on the outside. Everything worked out perfect, but the race wasn’t for him today. It wasn’t his day,” Zayas said. Maybe next time he can get a little bit of pace to run at. I don’t think he wants to be rushed to his feet. Hopefully he finishes strong next time.”
Skippy Longstocking ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.76 to collect his second graded-stakes victory of the year while beating older horses for the first time. Earlier this year he finished third in the Belmont Stakes (G1), fifth in the Preakness (G1), and won the West Virginia Derby (G3).
“The trainer told me just ride him wherever he’s comfortable. He broke in a good position. I was in a good forward place — good position — and I go from there,” Ortiz said. “When I asked him, he had plenty in the tank.”
While Skippylongstocking was pretty much on cruise control in the Harlan’s Holiday, he did provide an anxious moment for his trainer when he bobbled in the backstretch.
“He had a perfect trip, except when he went to switch leads in the backstretch. It looked liked something went wrong. Irad said that there was poop on the track and he jumped it,” Joseph said. “It scared me.”
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher was pleased with the effort put forth by Pioneer of Medina.
“I thought he ran great, broke really sharply and Luis went ahead and took the initiative. I thought the fractions were reasonable and he fought hard for second. I’m proud of him. He’s probably a little better at a mile and an eight,” said Pletcher, not ruling out a return in the Pegasus World Cup should an invitation be forthcoming.
The Pegasus for 4-year-olds and up is one of eight stakes, seven graded, worth $5.3 million in purses on the Pegasus World Cup program, including the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) and $500,000 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf Invitational (G3).
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Gold Square’s dual Grade 1-winning multi-millionaire Cyberknife continues to train forwardly as he prepares for his anticipated career finale in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 28 at Gulfstream Park.
By Gun Runner, the 2017 Horse of the Year who capped his career with a victory in the 2018 Pegasus, the 3-year-old Cyberknife is scheduled to begin stud duty at Spendthrift Farm in Lexington, Ky. in 2023.
“We have the Pegasus circled for Cyberknife right now,” Cox said. “He’s got a few more works in front of him, but he’s doing great, he really is.”
Cyberknife has breezed three times since joining Cox’s string at Fair Grounds following a head loss to Cody’s Wish in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile (G1) Nov. 5 at Keeneland, most recently going a half-mile in 49.20 seconds Dec. 24 to rank eighth of 23 horses at the distance.
“I thought he ran big in the Breeders’ Cup and he’s done well since then,” Cox said. “He’s had a couple good works here at the Fair Grounds. He’ll do all of his works here. If all goes well, we’ll ship to Gulfstream the week of the race.”
Cyberknife has earned $2,087,520 in purses from 12 lifetime starts. He has notched wins this year in the Arkansas Derby (G1), Haskell (G1) and Matt Winn (G3) while running second in the Travers (G1) and third in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1).
Cox won the Pegasus in 2021 with Knicks Go, who would go on to be voted champion older male and Horse of the Year. Knicks Go ran second in the 2022 Pegasus before launching his stud career.
Spendthrift acquired the breeding rights to Cyberknife from owner Al Gold after the colt won the Haskell July 18, his most recent win. The Haskell, like the Pegasus, is contested at 1 1/8 miles.
“He’s been great,” Cox said. “Obviously, he’s going to stud after the Pegasus. We’ve had him for the past year and a half and he’s been very good to us. Hopefully, we can end up on a good note.”
White Abarrio tuned up Friday morning at Gulfstream Park for a planned start Jan. 28 in the Grade 1, $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), breezing a half-mile in 48.31 seconds.
The workout was the second for this year’s Florida Derby (G1) winner since his third-place finish in the Dec. 3 Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct. Exercise rider Vicente Gudiel was aboard.
“He worked very well this morning, and he put a lot of energy in his gallop-out,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.
Owned by C2 Racing Stable and La Milagrosa Stable, White Abarrio also won the Holy Bull (G3) at Gulfstream prior to his Florida Derby score and then finished a troubled 10th in the Kentucky Derby (G1).
The son of Race Day pleased his trainer with his physical presence lately.
“He’s filled out a little bit. He looks really well right now. We’re really happy with the way he is right now from a weight standpoint,” Joseph said. “The confidence level in him is very high right now. It feeds off the horse and the energy he gives us back. Everything we’re observing is positive.”
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