Saffie Joseph Jr. | Horse Racing Free Tips

One-Time $25,000 Claim Queen Nekia Earns Graded Status With Royal Delta Win

Ken Copenhaver's Queen Nekia benefited from a hotly contested early pace to earn graded-stakes credentials with a rallying victory in Saturday's $100,000 Royal Delta (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained 6-year-old Harlington mare, who finished a close third in last year's edition of the 1 1/16-mile stakes for older fillies and mares after being claimed for $25,000 two starts earlier, also benefited from a ground-saving ride by Corey Lanerie to pull off a 29-1 upset.

Queen Nekia rated well off a strong pace contested by 3-2 favorite Mrs. Danvers and the Joseph-trained Gibberish, who set fractions of 23.31 and 46.48 seconds for the first half mile. Gibberish continued to turn back Mrs. Danvers's outside challenge into to the homestretch turn, but Eres Tu, the 2-1 second betting choice made a sweeping move around them entering the stretch and appeared on her way to her fourth straight win. The new leader seemed to stall upon getting a clear lead at the top of the stretch and suddenly came under attack from Queen Nekia, who kicked strongly along the rail and drew away by 1 ¾ lengths.

“It set up good. I saw a little pace on paper, and she broke really good. I was trying to get over to the rail, and then finally I just kind of let all the speed go and got back a little bit, probably a little bit further than I wanted to,” said Lanerie following his third victory of the day. “When I called on her, I had a lot of horse.”

Eres Tu finished second under Irad Ortiz Jr., 4 ¾ lengths ahead of Bajan Girl. Gibberish finished fourth and Mrs. Danvers checked in fifth.

Queen Nekia, who ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43,62, had most recently finished fourth behind stablemate Gibberish in the $100,000 Treasure Coast at Delta Downs Nov. 27.

“[For] both horses, since they ran together at Delta Downs, this has been the intended target – give them a freshening and train them together. Gibberish, I don't think she was at her best, plus I think the pace didn't help her,” Joseph said. “Queen Nekia finished third last year. She's a deserving winner. She's a filly that deserved a Grade 3. She's a filly we claimed for $25,000, and this makes her so much more valuable.

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Joseph Looking At Fountain Of Youth Or Gotham For Swale Winner Drain The Clock

Drain the Clock breezed a half-mile Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park in preparation for a possible start in the $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth (G2) Feb. 27 at the Hallandale Beach, Fla., track. The 3-year-old son of Maclean's Music was timed in :49.02 in his first workout since romping to victory in the Jan. 30 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3) at Gulfstream.

“It was his first easy breeze by himself. He went as good as could ask,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “Next week, we'll put in company. I didn't want him to go with company today, because I didn't want him to go too fast. By himself, he'll go as slow as you want. In company, he gets more aggressive.”

Drain the Clock has won four of five lifetime starts, his only loss coming when he lost his rider due to a broken iron during the running of the Nov. 30 Jean Lafitte Stakes at Delta Downs. He entered the Delta stakes off a six-length debut victory at Gulfstream Park and an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream Park West. The Joseph trainee bounced back from his ill-fated trip to Louisiana with a 7 ½-length win in the Jan. 2 Limehouse and a 6 ¼-length triumph in the Swale during the 2020-'21 Championship Meet.

Joseph said Drain the Clock will likely return to action in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth or the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct March 6.

“He's also nominated to the Tampa Bay Derby, but I would say it's between the Fountain of Youth or the Gotham,” Joseph said.

The Joseph-trained Ny Traffic, who came within a nose of beating 2020 Horse of the Year Authentic in last year's Haskell (G1) at Monmouth, breezed a half-mile Sunday morning at Gulfstream. Idle since finishing ninth in the Oct. 3 Preakness (G1), the 4-year-old son of Cross Traffic was timed in 47:53 seconds for four furlongs in his sixth breeze in preparation for his return to action.

“The was his most serious work to date,” Joseph said. “He's in good order. He'll have maybe two more works and we'll try to find a spot.”

The New York-bred colt worked in company with Saturday's Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) winner Mischevious Alex in his previous workout.

Ny Traffic, who is owned by John Fanelli, Cash is King LLC, LC Racing LLC, Paul Braverman and team Hanley, finished second in the Louisiana Derby (G2) at Fair Grounds, the Matt Winn (G2) at Churchill Downs, and the Haskell (G1) at Monmouth Park. He finished eighth in the Kentucky Derby (G1).

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Heavily Favored Mischevious Alex Captures Gulfstream Park Sprint

Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC's Mischevious Alex asserted his class to score a comfortable 3 ½-length victory in Saturday's $100,000 Gulfstream Park Sprint (G3) at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The Gulfstream Park Sprint, a six-furlong dash for 4-year-olds and up, and the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3), a five-furlong race for older horses on turf, co-headlined a 12-race program that also featured a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Mischevious Alex, who was sent to post as the 2-5 favorite in a field reduced to four by scratches, recorded his second straight victory of the 2020-2021 Championship Meet with the April 3 Carter (G1) at Aqueduct or the Golden Shaheen (G1) on the March 28 Dubai World Cup undercard being targeted for his next start.

“The Carter is the primary goal. The Dubai sprint is in our minds, but we're going to talk it over and decide,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “[Cash is King LLC's] Chuck [Zacney] has a game plan to try to win a Grade 1 this year.”

Mischievous Alex, who won a Jan. 10 optional claiming allowance impressively while making his first start for Joseph off a five-month layoff, broke alertly to contest the early pace outside pacesetter Cajun Brother and inside Frosted Grace along the backstretch. Cajun Brother ran the first quarter of a mile in 22.45 with Mischevious Alex traveling comfortably to his outside under Irad Ortiz Jr. The odds-on favorite moved to a narrow lead on the turn into the homestretch with Frosted Grace looming boldly to his outside. Asked for some run at the top of the stretch, the 4-year-old son of Into Mischief offered a powerful kick to win with authority.

“It worked out well. He got the job done,” Joseph said. “He broke well and I was happy how he broke. For a brief moment, where he was in a little tight, Irad did a great job of maintaining his spot. After that, he stayed six furlongs strongly. At six furlongs, you don't have to worry about him stopping. He keeps getting stronger towards the end.”

Mischievous Alex, who captured the 2020 Swale (G3) at Gulfstream, ran six furlongs in 1:09.55.

“I got a good trip. The horse put me in a good position early. I think [Cajun Brother] had the speed from the break so I just let him go ahead. I sat there and was patient and when it was time to let him go, I just let him go and he responded really well,” Ortiz said. “He's doing great.”

Frosted Grace finished second under Luis Saez, a half-length ahead of Cajun Brother and jockey Miguel Vasquez.

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Joseph Chasing Training Idol Pletcher, Hopes To Continue Success In G3 Gulfstream Park Sprint

Multiple graded-stakes winner Mischevious Alex is expected to be a short-priced favorite to capture Saturday's Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint, continuing a most successful Championship Meet for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

The Gulfstream Park Sprint, a six-furlong dash for 4-year-olds and up, and the the $100,000 Gulfstream Park Turf Sprint (G3), a five-furlong race for 4-year-olds and up, will co-headline Saturday's 12-race program that will also feature a mandatory payout of the 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool.

Joseph, whose year-round success at Gulfstream has attracted the attention of high-profile owners in recent years, is currently sitting second in the trainer standings behind 16-time Championship Meet titleist Todd Pletcher.

“It was my dream as a young kid, 16, 17, 18, coming to Gulfstream from Barbados on holiday,” said Joseph, who grew up in a racing family in Barbados. “I'd see Todd Pletcher win all the titles and win all the races. Just to compete against him, I feel in awe.”

Joseph, who attended Florida International University and trained successfully in Barbados before returning to Gulfstream to follow his dream, has saddled 33 winners during the Championship Meet, four fewer than Todd, entering Wednesday's program.

“We came into this year with a lot of good horses and good owners who wanted to claim horses at the top level,” the 34-year-old trainer said. “We came in with high expectations. We got off to what I'd say was a slow start in December, but as the year turned everything started to click and we've had a good January and February so far. You can't be more satisfied.”

Mischevious Alex, who is owned by Cash is King LLC and LC Racing LLC, joined Joseph's stable for his 2021 campaign after a productive 3-year-old season that included victories in the Swale (G3) at Gulfstream and the Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct. Making his first start since finishing sixth in the Aug. 20 H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga, the son of Into Mischief made a sweeping move into the stretch and drew off to win by 3 ¾ lengths in a Jan, 10 optional claiming allowance.

“On his form before, it showed he was a very good horse. He had run at Gulfstream before and his race [in the Swale] was just as good,” Joseph said. “I didn't think we had him fully cranked and see him win like that and quicken away nicely was very impressive.”

Yodel E. A. Who, the Joseph-trained second-place finisher in Mischevious Alex's stellar return, was claimed for $62,500 out of the race and came back to score an impressive three-length victory in a Feb. 6 optional claiming allowance for trainer Brittany Russell.

Saturday's $250,000 General George (G3) at Laurel Park had been under consideration, but Mischevious Alex's connections opted to stay close to home.

“The weather here looks a lot better than there, where there's snow and cold. We're going to ship him for his next race. There's no sense shipping him now and shipping him back,” said Joseph, who listed the April 3 Carter (G1) at Aqueduct as a target race.

Leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount aboard Mischevious Alex, who is scheduled to face six rivals.

Mac Nichol's Admiral Lynch, who finished second in last year's renewal of the graded sprint, is scheduled to clash with Mischevious Alex for the second straight race, having finished third in the Joseph trainee's 2021 debut.

Junior Alvarado has the call aboard the Victor Barboza Jr.-trained 5-year-old son of Super Saver.

William Werner and Team V's Edgemont Road enters the Gulfstream Park Sprint off an optional claiming allowance victory at Tampa Bay Downs after hopping at the start of the six-furlong sprint. The Eddie Kenneally-trained son of Speightstown previously finished third at Keeneland in the Lafayette, won by Sleepy Eyes Todd, who won the Mr. Prospector (G3) before finishing fourth in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G3) at Gulfstream.

Jose Ortiz is scheduled to ride Edgemont Road for the first time Saturday.

Jacks or Better Farm Inc.'s Shivaree, who finished fourth after setting a pressured pace in the mile Jan. 23 Fred W. Hooper (G3), is crossed entered in the Gulfstream Park Sprint and a race at Tampa Bay Downs.

Reeves Thoroughbred Racing's Frosted Grace, a six-furlong optional claiming allowance winner at Gulfstream last time out; Shadybrook Farm Inc.'s Cajun Brother, who captured the Sunshine Sprint at Gulfstream after finishing third behind Frosted Grace; and Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change, who finished fourth in the Mr. Prospector last time out; round out the field.

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