Harlan's Holiday S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

As the 3-year-olds line up to duke it out for next season's older- horse honors, Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) proved he's rounding back into form at just the right time when taking GII Harlan's Holiday S., the local prep for next year's GI Pegasus World Cup.

A consistent presence on the Triple Crown trail earlier this year, Skippylongstocking was always right there in the year's biggest races–third to Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) in both the GII Wood Memorial S. and the GI Belmont S. and fifth behind Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GI Preakness S. A career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure saw him take the win in the GIII West Virginia Derby Aug. 6 before he tossed in a clunker in his most recent start, checking in 15 1/2 lengths behind Taiba (Gun Runner) in the GI Pennsylvania Derby Sept. 24.

Racing amongst familiar rivals in Simplification (Not This Time) and fellow Triple Crown contender Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile), Skippylongstocking came in just the 3-1 third choice as heralded stablemate and Chilean bred O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) took the favorite honors. Pace-setting duty went to Pioneer of Medina who was happy to lead the field through fractions of :23.75 and :47.14 before losing the front to Skippylongstocking, who was never further back than second while racing in the clear on the outside. Simplification looked to go by Pioneer of Medina for the placing as Skippylongstocking was home free, but was denied and had to settle for third as O'Connor faded to fourth.

“It was a game effort by Skippy,” said winning trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., also the trainer of O'Connor. “He's a horse that tries and he runs hard. 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 [GI] Pegasus also.”

Pedigree Notes:

The third winner from as many to race for his dam, Skippylongstocking is the leading money earner for his sire. Twinkling produced a yearling filly by Take Charge Indy and a weanling filly by Maclean's music before visiting GI Kentucky Derby winner Authentic for 2023.

Saturday, Gulfstream
HARLAN'S HOLIDAY S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 12-31, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:42.76, ft.
1–SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING, 123, c, 3, by Exaggerator
                1st Dam: Twinkling, by War Chant
                2nd Dam: Unhurried, by Out of Place
                3rd Dam: Laughing Erin, by Irish Castle
($15,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $37,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR). O-Daniel
Alonso; B-Brushy Hill, LLC (KY); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.; J-Irad
Ortiz, Jr. $90,210. Lifetime Record: GISP, 14-4-1-3, $777,810.
*1/2 to Olivia Twist (Mshawish), SW, $100,149; Moonlite
Strike (Liam's Map), SW & GSP, $172,735. Werk Nick Rating:
A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for
the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pioneer of Medina, 118, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Lights of
Medina, by Eskendereya. ($485,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O-Sumaya U.S. Stable; B-International Equities Holding, Inc.
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $29,100.
3–Simplification, 120, c, 3, Not This Time–Simply Confection,
by Candy Ride (Arg). ($50,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV). O-Tami
Bobo; B-France & Irwin J. Weiner (FL); T-Antonio Sano.
$14,550.
Margins: 2, NK, 2. Odds: 3.20, 12.20, 2.40.
Also Ran: O'Connor (Chi), South Bend, Strike Hard, Cooke Creek, Clapton.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) will not have a prep race for the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. at Gulfstream Park, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Saturday.

“He runs well fresh. He's proven he runs well fresh,” Joseph said. “He's 4-for-4 at Gulfstream, so that's a good thing. It's his home track.”

The $40,000 OBS March juvenile won a pair of starts in Hallandale late last season before adding the GIII Holy Bull S. in February and the GI Curlin Florida Derby Apr. 2. He was last seen finishing third, beaten under a length, in the GI Cigar Mile H. at Aqueduct Dec. 3.

Joseph has two other candidates for the Pegasus. Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), third behind Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) and in the GI Belmont S. and winner of the GIII West Virginia Derby, and O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) worked five furlongs Saturday morning at Palm Meadows in advance of the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Skippylongstocking was timed in 1:00.35 (4/18), while G1 Latinoamericano victor O'Connor went the same distance in 1:03.20.

“Skippy, he had a good work this morning. He worked well for the Harlan's Holiday,” Joseph said. Of O'Connor, Joseph added, “He had a quick breeze last week. He's plenty fit so we're just keeping him ready for the race.”

O'Connor has one stateside appearance to his credit, a six-length romp in an Oct. 16 optional claimer over 8 1/2 furlongs.

Also on the South Florida worktab Saturday was GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. hero Simplification (Not This Time), who prepped for the Harlan's Holiday with a five-furlong drill over the Gulfstream main track that was clocked in 1:00.23 with jockey Junior Alvarado up. It was his fourth breeze since finishing a troubled seventh in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 5.

“He went very well, he galloped out [six furlongs] in 1:13,” said trainer Antonio Sano, who celebrated his 900th victory in the U.S. when Major Pryce (Bucchero) aired in Saturday's second race. “This is important for me and my family. I work hard every day for my owners and my family. I have nothing but gratitude for the people of the United States for opening their arms for me,” he said.

All things equal, Simplification will also use the Harlan's Holiday as a springboard to the Pegasus.

The post White Abarrio To Train Up to Pegasus appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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