“He's been doing very well week after week,” Cox said of the Godolphin homebred, a latest second to the re-opposing Trademark (Upstart) in the GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs Nov. 24. “We're excited about giving him a shot at a Grade I. We weren't looking for anything really different than he'd done the last few weeks. We were just giving him an opportunity to go out there and stretch his legs, see how he's doing. And he's telling us he's doing as well as he ever has.”

First Mission is due to arrive at Gulfstream Monday afternoon. Luis Saez retains the mount.

The Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained duo of GIII Harlan's Holiday S. hero O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) and Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) got their final tune-ups during half-mile breezes up at Palm Meadows Saturday morning. Working on his own, O'Connor was timed in :48.55, while GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile runner-up Skippylongstocking went in the company of the stakes-winning Swirvin (Girvin) and was clocked in :47.55.

Dynamic One (Union Rags), Crupi (Curlin) and Harlan's Holiday runner-up Grand Aspen (Dialed In) each turned in drills at Palm Beach Downs for trainer Todd Pletcher Saturday morning. Dynamic One and Crupi went in company, with Crupi going in :48.29 and Dynamic One :48.39. Dynamic One, who was equipped with blinkers for the first time, started two lengths ahead of Crupi, who finished the breeze 1 1/2 lengths behind his stablemate, who was ridden by Irad Ortiz, Jr. Grand Aspen went the same distance in :49.13.

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Favored in this same race a year ago, the Chilean import disappointed when fourth behind MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and was thus never a factor as Art Collector (Bernardini) cruised to the Pegasus win to kick off 2023. O'Connor has spent the rest of his 6-year-old season hitting the board in graded-stakes races around the East Coast and finally broke through for his first North American graded success last out when he defeated Il Miracolo (Gun Runner) by a head in the GI Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 28.

Caught three-wide into the firsts turn as the field fanned across the track, Tyler Gaffalione chose to take back and eased O'Connor into a stalking trip as NY Traffic (Cross Traffic) and Grand Aspen (Dialed In) battled it out up front into the backstretch. Positioned mid pack in fifth, the 7-2 shot had a clear view of the leaders through a :47.12 opening half and took aim with rail-skimming move midway around the far turn. The top three spun into the stretch with Grand Aspen appearing to have the better chance but NY Traffic and O'Connor battled back with the 6-year-old finishing nicely to just nail Grand Aspen on the line in a tight finish.

“Last year, I didn't think he could get beat,” said winning trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. “I've learned the least I know the better I do. Fast forward one year and we got the job done. We're proud of him, obviously. He's a horse that's won 2 in a row now and he's doing what we thought he could do.”

Jockey @Tyler_Gaff pilots #6 O'CONNOR (CHI) ($9.20) up the rail for their victory in the GIII Harlan's Holiday at Gulfstream Park. Congratulations to the @SaffieJosephJr barn and all of the connections. pic.twitter.com/MvnXb3LJkT

— TVG (@TVG) December 30, 2023

Pedigree Note:

O'Connor, a winner at the highest level and Horse of the Year in his native Chile, is one of seven stakes winner for GI Hollywood Derby hero Boboman and out of a winning dam who has produced four other winners from five to race. From a deep South American family, O'Connor counts champion older mare in Chile Sacramentada (Chi) (Northair) as his third dam. She would also produce GISW and $3m KEENOV broodmare Hystericalady (Distorted Humor), the dam of GSW/GISP Lady Montdore (Medaglia d'Oro). O'Connor has only one younger sibbling–a 5-year-old unraced half-brother named Totoi (Chi) (Caesario {Ire}).

Saturday, Gulfstream Park
HARLAN'S HOLIDAY S.-GIII, $150,000, Gulfstream, 12-30, 3yo/up, 1 1/16m, 1:43.80, ft.
1–O'CONNOR (CHI), 126, h, 6, by Boboman
1st Dam: Torrente de Agua (Chi), by Touch Gold
2nd Dam: Torrey Pines, by Woodman
3rd Dam: Sacramentada (Chi), by Northair
O-Michael & Julia C Iavarone & Fernando Vine Ode; B-Haras
Carioca (CHI); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr; J-Tyler Gaffalione. $88,350.
Lifetime Record: Horse of the Year, Ch. Older Horse & G1SW-
Chi, 27-12-7-3, $749,319. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Grand Aspen, 121, c, 4, Dialed In–Lady Aspen, by Grand
Reward. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O/B-PRO
Thorughbred Enterprises (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher. $28,500.
3–Ny Traffic, 121, h, 6, Cross Traffic–Mamie Reilly, by Graeme
Hall. ($27,000 RNA 2yo '19 EASMAY). O-John Fanelli, Cash is
King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman & Team Hanley;
B-Brian Culnan (NY); T-Saffie A Joseph Jr. $14,250.
Margins: NK, 3/4, 1 1/4. Odds: 3.60, 10.40, 5.80.
Also Ran: Steal Sunshine, Octane, Dubyuhnell, Blue Devil, Gasoline, Lure Him In, Miles D. Scratched: Signator. Click for the Equibase.com chart, PPs or the VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Owned by Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking won this year's GII Charles Town Classic and was last seen finishing third to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4. The soon-to-be 5-year-old covered a half-mile in :49.40 (20/64).

O'Connor, campaigned by Mike Iavarone and partners, was a sound fourth in last year's Pegasus and is arguably in better form this season, having taken out Keeneland's GII Fayette S. Oct. 28. The Southern Hemisphere 6-year-old also went four furlongs Saturday, stopping the clock in :49.45 (22/64).

Also on the Palm Meadows tab was Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who went a half in :49.50 in preparation for the Dec. 30 GIII Harlan's Holiday S.

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One of three runners in the Classic coming out of the July 8 GIII Cornhusker H. at Prairie Meadows, where he was runner-up to Friday night's sixth-place finisher Giant Game (Giant's Causeway), Skippylongstocking was notching his fourth graded win in the past year. He took Tampa Bay's GIII Challenger S. in March, Gulfstream's GIII Harlan's Holiday S. in late December, and Mountaineer's GIII West Virginia Derby last August. The first half of his 3-year-old campaign featured a third in the aforementioned Belmont, as well as in the GII Wood Memorial, and a fifth in the GI Preakness S.

SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING (Exaggerator) absolutely blows the rest of the field out of the water, securing a seamless victory in the GII Charles Town Classic! pic.twitter.com/YjHvvlnNCv

— TDN (@theTDN) August 26, 2023

Pedigree Notes:

Skippylongstocking is the sole North American-bred graded winner for Classic winner Exaggerator, who also has nine black-type winners. A son of the all-conquering Curlin and a former Kentucky sire, Exaggerator has stood for the past two seasons at Elite Thoroughbreds in Louisiana.

Skippylongstocking is also one of 34 stakes winners out of mares by Breeders' Cup winner War Chant, whose daughters have also produced GI Kentucky Derby winner Country House (Lookin At Lucky) and English/French MG1SW Shalaa (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).

The Charles Town Classic winner is Twinkling's best runner, although she also has SW Olivia Twist (Mshawish), who was third in April's GIII Fantasy S., and SW Moonlite Strike (Liam's Map), who was third in the 2021 GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby. She has an unraced 2-year-old filly named Winking (Take Charge Indy) and a yearling filly named Mia's Mom (Maclean's Music), who sold earlier this month at the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale for $275,000 to August Dawn Farm. Her 2023 foal, a filly by Authentic, was born May 5. Twinkling was bred back to Not This Time.

Friday, Charles Town
CHARLES TOWN CLASSIC S.-GII, $1,000,000, Charles Town, 8-25, 3yo/up, 1 1/8m, 1:51.37, wf.
1–SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING, 121, c, 4, 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-Tyler
Gaffalione. $576,000. Lifetime Record: GISP, 19-6-2-3,
$1,507,185. *1/2 to Olivia Twist (Mshawish), SW & GSP,
$177,449; 1/2 to Moonlite Strike (Liam's Map), SW & GSP,
$174,455. Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–O'Connor (Chi), 119, h, 6, Boboman–Torrente de Agua (Chi),
by Touch Gold. O-Fernando Vine Ode and Michael and Jules
Iavarone; B-Haras Carioca (Chi); T-Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.
$192,000.
3–Dash Attack, 119, g, 4, Munnings–Cerce Cay, by Hard Spun.
1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-Magdalena Racing (Sherri
McPeek), Catalyst Stable, Kevin J. Pollard and Patty Slevin;
B-Catalyst Stable & Magdalena Racing (KY); T-Kenneth G.
McPeek. $96,000.
Margins: 5, 1HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 1.40, 10.50, 23.60.
Also Ran: Muad'dib, Call Me Fast, Giant Game, Double Crown, Doppelganger, Perfect Flight, Eastern Bay. Scratched: Martin Man.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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Trained by Amador Sanchez, the Southern Hemisphere 4-year-old colt began his career at Monterrico Racetrack in Peru, winning three of his four starts, before finishing second to O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) in the G1 Longines Gran Premio Latinoamericano at Hipodromo Chile last Apr. 2. A 1 1/4-length winner of the G1 Gran Premio Hipodromo Chile going 11 furlongs on the dirt four weeks later, turning the tables on O'Connor, the bay was runner-up in a one-mile allowance/optional claimer at Gulfstream Park Nov. 12 before going one better over 8 1/2 furlongs Dec. 8. He was an intended runner in the Jan. 28 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S., but was forced to miss the race due to an Equine Herpesvirus outbreak in his barn.

Super Corinto is one of two probable World Cup night starters for Sanchez, who is also set to be represented by Super Ocho (Chi) (Dubai Sky), a multiple Group 2 winner in Chile and third in last year's GII Santa Anita Sprint Championship. He will be a decided longshot in against the likes of Gunite (Gun Runner), Sibelius (Not This Time) and a strong Japanese contingent in the G1 Dubai Golden Shaheen.

Welcome to the #DubaiWorldCup, SUPER CORINTO!

Amador Sanchez's Chilean G1 winner has been invited to the $12million Dubai World Cup, switching from the G2 Godolphin Mile. #DWC23

@erikar_photos pic.twitter.com/J7gGsZMTkU

— Dubai Racing Club (@RacingDubai) March 17, 2023

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The Pegasus World Cup will headline a 13-race program also featuring the GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational, the GIII TAA Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf, and four other graded-stakes races totaling $5.3 million in purses.

Following a similar pattern as his sire, Cyberknife–who drew Post 10 in the 12-horse field–will be retired after the race to begin stallion duty at Spendthrift Farm.

Cyberknife's trainer Brad Cox, who was victorious in the 2021 GI Pegasus World Cup with Knicks Go (Paynter), finished second behind WinStar's Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in last year's renewal.

“It's really amazing he's been able to stay as good as he has physically and mentally,” said Cox. “He's improved a tremendous amount mentally over the last six, seven, eight months. Physically he looks amazing. He's given us all the signs – and maybe even more so now, working better than he ever has leading up to this. He is older. He's stronger than he was throughout his 3-year-old season. And he's going to need to be.”

Florent Geroux, who rode Gun Runner in his own Pegasus World Cup victory, is named to ride Cyberknife.

Godolphin LLC's Proxy (Tapit), rated second on the morning line at 9-2, enters the Pegasus World Cup off his first career Grade I victory in the GI Clark S. Nov. 25 at Churchill Downs.

“Certainly, I feel like the Pegasus is going to come up tougher overall, a tougher race, so we have to pick our game up from the Clark,” said trainer Michael Stidham. “I don't think we can run the same race we ran in the Clark and expect to win. I think we need to do a little bit better, and I'm hoping my horse will move forward from the Clark. That's what we need to see.”

Joel Rosario, who rode Knicks Go for his 2021 Pegasus World Cup score, has the call on Proxy from the rail.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who leads all trainers with victories during the current meet at Gulfstream, is represented in the field by three horses: Daniel Alonso's Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) (5-1; Post Seven), C2 Racing Stable LLC and La Milagrosa Stable LLC's White Abarrio (Race Day) (10-1; Post Four), and Fernando Vine Ode and Michael and Jules Iavarone's O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) (10; Post 12). Jose Ortiz has the call on Skippylongstocking, while Tyler Gaffalione and Javier Castellano are named to ride White Abarrio and O'Connor, respectively.

Trainer Bob Baffert will send Michael Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman's Defunded (Dialed In) (6-1; Post Five) to the Gulfstream Park track Saturday in search of his third success in the Pegasus World Cup after being victorious with Arrogate in 2017 and Much Gusto in 2020.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas has made a late change in jockeys for Willis Horton Racing LLC's Last Samurai (Malibu Moon) (20-1; Post Nine), who will be ridden by Frankie Dettori.

Bruce Lundsford's Art Collector (Bernardini) (10-1; Post Six) will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, who celebrated his 2000th career victory Saturday at Gulfstream.

Completing the field are Gary Barber's Get Her Number (Dialed In) (15-1; Post Eight), Tami Bobo and Tristan de Meric's Simplification (Not This Time) (15-1; Post Two), Steve Moger's Stilleto Boy (Shackleford) (30-1; Post 11), and Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Ridin With Biden (Constitution) (20-1; Post Three), who drew into the 12-horse field Sunday upon the defection of Super Corinto (Super Saver).

Dream Team One Racing's Hoist the Gold (Mineshaft) and Mark Breen's Endorsed (Medaglia d'Oro) are also eligible in the listed order.

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“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.

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