Ny Traffic stalled at the top of the stretch before shifting into high gear in Saturday's Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., putting a late scare into front-running Authentic, only to fall an excruciating nose short of victory.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. expressed more satisfaction than disappointment in his Gulfstream Park-based Kentucky Derby (G1) prospect Sunday morning.
“I think I've lost a claimer and been more upset. For some reason, I didn't feel any disappointment, because I know where we're trying to get – to the Derby,” Joseph said. “I just thought it was another step forward again. I didn't want to see any regression. That was my biggest thing – not seeing any regression.”
Ny Traffic, who currently sits fourth in qualifying points for the Sept. 5 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs, chased a loose-on-the-lead Authentic into the stretch, where he made a courageous-but-failed bid for victory.
“I was proud of him. At the quarter-pole, he was off the bridle and it looked like he wouldn't be able to get second. To see him, trying and keep coming and almost getting there…At the sixteenth pole, I thought he might win. It went from a low to a high,” Joseph said. “I didn't take the beat that bad, honestly. I was just happy how he ran and it was another jump forward, like we're going in the right way for the Derby.”
Ny Traffic, who followed up a dominating Jan. 11 allowance win at Gulfstream in his first start for Joseph with a third-place finish in the Risen Star (G2), a runner-up finish in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and a second-place finish in the Matt Winn (G3), is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing and Paul Braverman.
“I'm sending him to Saratoga and let him train there a little bit. I don't know if we'll ship early to Churchill or ship late. We haven't decided yet,” Joseph said.
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