Saffie Joseph Jr. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saffie Joseph, Jr. Suspended 15 Days In Pennsylvania For Positive, Will Appeal

Saffie Joseph, Jr., the leading trainer at the current meet at Gulfstream Park, has been suspended for 15 days and fined $500 by the Pennsylvania Racing Commission after his trainee Artie's Princess (We Miss Artie) tested positive for the substance Gabapentin after her win in the GII Presque Isle Downs Masters S. on Sept. 19, 2022 at Presque Isle Downs.

The story was first reported by the Paulick Report.

According to the website Equinews.com, “Gabapentin has been used in horses for many years, and is often prescribed as adjunct therapy for horses with pain rising from laminitis, particularly as part of a multimodal approach to pain management.”

Joseph denied any wrongdoing and said he is appealing the ruling.

“I had never even heard of this medication and it was never used on that horse or any horse I've had,” he said. “We've never had it in the barn. I was completely shocked by this.”

According to a document from the Pennsylvania Racing Commission, which Joseph forwarded to the TDN, Artie's Princess was also tested the afternoon before the race and was negative “for the presence of foreign substances.” Joseph questioned how the same horse could test positive the next day when it had not had any further veterinary treatment.

“She was tested 24 hours before the race by the same Pennsylvania lab,” he said. “The horse was negative and was then positive the next day when no vet treated her. How is that possible? The proof is in the pudding.”

Joseph also said the horse tested positive at a level that should be considered below the recognized threshold level.

“The stewards had all the facts and they made a decision,” Joseph said. “They chose not to step up to the plate and did not make a decision based on the facts. I'm not denying what was there. But how did it get there? I don't know. If you follow the science and the studies that have been done, it shouldn't even be called a positive.”

Joseph asked for a split sample. The Texas A & M Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory confirmed the positive finding.

Had he not appealed, Joseph's suspension would have run from June 5 through June 19, 2023.

The Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission also ordered the disqualification of Artie's Princess and a redistribution of the purse. Café Society (Empire Maker) originally finished second in the race.

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Skippylongstocking Preps For Pegasus With Win In Harlan’s Holiday

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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Joseph, Saez Earn Gulfstream Titles

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who captured Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby with White Abarrio (Race Day), earned his first Championship Meet title at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Joseph closed out the meet with 58 winners, 12 victories ahead of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the defending 18-time titlist.

“Most definitely the Florida Derby was the icing on the cake. The Championship Meet title also means a lot. I grew up watching Todd my whole life. He's dominated for 18 years now. I'm 35 now. To take over from him after 18 years, I can't put into words what it means,” Joseph said. “I would just watch Todd win and dominate. He's a role model for any trainer who wants to look up to someone.”

With 122 wins, jockey Luis Saez reclaimed the Championship Meet title that had been held by Irad Ortiz Jr. for the past three years. Saez won back-to-back titles in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.

“It's something very big for us. Florida is like home. It's the first place we came to,” said the 29-year-old Panamanian. “The third time is very special to us.”

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On to Derby for White Abarrio

White Abarrio (Race Day) came out of his victory in Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby in fine shape and will now be aimed at the GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. confirmed Sunday.

“He was further back than we envisioned and to see him be able to sit back that far off the pace and make his move, it gives you a lot of confidence, because you know he can run close to the pace and now sit back and be as effective,” Joseph said of his charge's Florida Derby win.

White Abarrio, third in last year's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., is now two-for-two at three. He opened the year with a 4 1/2-length victory in the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S.

Saffie said he continues to see improvement in the gray colt.

“Physically, he's not an overly big horse. He's filled out and he's grown a bit. He's a changed horse,” Joseph said. “He's changed from November to now, and he's showing it on the track. That's what you want. You want to be improving at this time of year. I feel he's making forward progressions.”

Whisper Hill Farm's Charge It (Tapit) came up with a gritty performance against more experienced colts while finishing second in the Florida Derby in only his third career start. The Todd Pletcher trainee, who hit the gate at the start, made a solid run at White Abarrio before racing greenly in the stretch.

“To get a real education in a race like that was very encouraging. He got a little green down the lane. He kind of drifted in behind that horse and I felt like if he could have just run straight that last 100 yards, he was going to be right there. But I thought it was a huge effort, considering everything,” said Pletcher, who added the Kentucky Derby will be under consideration for the well-bred colt.

Also aiming for the Kentucky Derby is the Florida Derby's third-place finisher Simplification (Not This Time).

“I am so happy with the race because the horse ran well and came back well,” trainer Antonio Sano said.

Simplification was second to White Abarrio in the Holy Bull before winning the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S.

“The plan was to be up front, but the pressure from Pappacap outside made Jose [Ortiz] move the horse before it was time,” Sano said. “It was a good field and my horse ran very good. In the Kentucky Derby, I believe he will run great.”

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