Saffie Joseph | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘Progressive’ Ny Traffic Could Take Another Step Forward In Saturday’s Haskell

Cash is King, LC Racing and Paul Braverman's Ny Traffic has a trio of graded stakes placings on his resume, and will be looking to add a win to that list in this Saturday's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park. The 3-year-old son of Cross Traffic drew the outside post in the field of seven, and will be ridden by regular jockey Paco Lopez.

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. has enjoyed seeing the colt move forward over the first half of the 2020 season, beginning with an allowance win at Gulfstream in January. Shipped over to New Orleans for the Risen Star, Ny Traffic finished third. In March, the colt ran a good second behind Wells Bayou in the Louisiana Derby.

After a short break, Ny Traffic returned to the races in the G3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on May 23. The colt ran a big race to finish second to top Derby contender Maxfield, beaten a length at the wire.

“I watched that race with such a rare feeling because I know how important it was to finish in the first two or even the first three, and so when he crossed the wire, I felt really good,” Joseph said on Wednesday's media teleconference organized by the NTRA. “Normally, you run second in a race, you feel a little disappointed, but there was no disappointment in me. I knew I ran behind a really nice horse, Maxfield, and just to run so close to him, it was an honor to see our horse show up but continue to improve himself.”

Ny Traffic currently has 70 points on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, likely enough to guarantee him a spot in the starting gate on the first Saturday in September. Should the colt continue to show improvement the way he did in the first part of the year, Ny Traffic could be a major player in the Haskell.

“It hasn't been huge jumps, but it's been just progressive jumps,” said Joseph. “And that's what you want to see from a 3-year-old because he's headed in the right direction. I don't think he was the best horse of the crop, but the way things have worked out, he's just climbing higher and higher.”

The post ‘Progressive’ Ny Traffic Could Take Another Step Forward In Saturday’s Haskell appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

‘Scary’ Good: Tonalist’s Shape Will Add Blinkers For CCA Oaks

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. believes he may have found the key to talented 3-year-old filly Tonalist's Shape, and just in time for Saturday's running of the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

In her last several workouts, the Tonalist filly has sported blinkers. She'll don the new equipment on Saturday as well, which Joseph believes will help her step up against the competition.

“She's already proven she's a nice filly, but we needed a couple more lengths to be one of the top fillies,” Joseph said on Wednesday's media teleconference organized by the NTRA. “It's almost scary how good she worked in the blinkers. I even asked some of the clockers that I respect, like Mike Welsch, and everyone seems to think she's much better in the blinkers.”

On Tuesday, Tonalist's Shape had her first workout at Saratoga and clocked a bullet three furlongs in 34.26 seconds, more than two seconds faster than any other breeze at the distance.

“She's never been a fast work horse,” Joseph said, adding, “but the blinkers seem to have made all positive notes.”

Tonalist's Shape was entered in last weekend's G1 Ashland at Keeneland, but scratched out of that tough field (won by Speech in track-record time) to point to the nine-furlong CCA Oaks instead.

Both the Ashland, a 1 1/16-mile route, and the Coaching Club will over 170 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers.

“The Coaching Club seems like a spot where we were likely to be the favorite,” said Joseph. “That doesn't mean we're going to win, but it gives her the best shot to do so.”

In her seven career starts, Tonalist's Shape has only been defeated once, when seventh behind eventual G1 winner Swiss Skydiver in the Gulfstream Park Oaks. Most recently, the filly won the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Wildcat Stakes at Gulfstream on May 15 by 3 3/4 lengths.

Entries for the CCA Oaks will be taken Wednesday afternoon, with the field expected to include: Altaf (Chad Brown), Antoinette (Bill Mott), Crystal Ball (Bob Baffert), Paris Lights (Bill Mott), and Velvet Crush (Rodolphe Brisset).

The post ‘Scary’ Good: Tonalist’s Shape Will Add Blinkers For CCA Oaks appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Authentic Tabbed As 4-5 Morning Line Favorite For $1 Million Haskell Stakes

Authentic was installed as the 4-5 morning line favorite to extend Bob Baffert's record for victories in the $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes following Wednesday's post position draw for Monmouth Park's showcase race.

A field of seven will contest the 53rd edition of the Haskell on Saturday, July 18. Authentic drew post position 2 for the mile and an eighth Grade 1 race.

Unbeaten in his first three career starts, Authentic was second to Honor A.P. in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his last start on June 6.

Baffert has won the Haskell a record eight times, doing so in 2015 (American Pharoah), 2014 (Bayern), 2012 (Paynter), 2011 (Coil), 2010 (Lookin at Lucky), 2005 (Roman Ruler), 2002 (War Emblem) and 2001 (Point Given).

Dr Post, trained by Todd Pletcher, was made the 5-2 second choice by Monmouth Park oddsmaker Brad Thomas. In his most recent start, Dr Post finished second in the Belmont Stakes on July 20. The son of Quality Road-Mary Delaney by Hennessy drew post position 1.

In a first for the race, the Haskell will offer points for the Kentucky Derby, with 100 going to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 for third and 10 for fourth. In addition, The Haskell has been designated as “Win and You're In” race for the Breeders' Cup Classic.

BetMakers, in partnership with Monmouth Park, is also sponsoring a $1 million bonus for any horse that wins the Haskell, the Kentucky Derby (re-scheduled to Sept. 5) and the Breeders' Cup Classic on Nov. 7.

First race post on Haskell Day, which includes the Grade 1 United Nations, is noon. NBC will televise the Haskell Day card from 5 to 6 p.m. as part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

The field for the 53rd Haskell Stakes:

PP HORSE TRAINER JOCKEY M/L ODDS

1. Dr Post Todd Pletcher Joe Bravo 5-2

2. Authentic Bob Baffert Mike Smith 4-5

3. Jesus' Team Jose D'Angelo Nik Juarez 15-1

4. Ancient Warrior Jerry Hollendorfer Trevor McCarthy 20-1

5. Fame to Famous John P. McAllen Jose C. Ferrer 30-1

6. Lebda Claudio Gonzalez Alex Cintron 20-1

7. Ny Traffic Saffie Joseph, Jr. Paco Lopez 7-2

The post Authentic Tabbed As 4-5 Morning Line Favorite For $1 Million Haskell Stakes appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post

Venetian Harbor, Bonny South, Tonalist’s Shape Face Off In Grade 1 Ashland

Graded stakes winners Bonny South, Tonalist's Shape and Venetian Harbor headline a field of six 3-year-old fillies entered Wednesday for Saturday's 83rd running of the $400,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track at Keeneland.

The Central Bank Ashland offers 170 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 scale to the first four finishers. The $1.25 million Kentucky Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box for the Sept. 4 race.

Post time for the Central Bank Ashland, the seventh race on Saturday's 10-race program, is 4:24 p.m.

Juddmonte Farms' Bonny South, winner of the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 21, has been working consistently at Keeneland since late April. Trained by Brad Cox, who won the 2018 Central Bank Ashland with champion Monomoy Girl, Bonny South is second on the Kentucky Oaks leaderboard with 100 points.

John Velazquez, who rode Fleet Renee to an Ashland victory in 2001, has the mount on Bonny South and will break from post position three

Ciaglia Racing, Highland Yard, River Oak Farm and Dominic Savides' Venetian Harbor, winner of the Las Virgenes (G3) at Santa Anita, comes in from California for trainer Richard Baltas. Standing 11th on the Oaks leaderboard with 50 points, Venetian Harbor finished second behind Swiss Skydiver in the Fantasy (G3) in her most recent start finishing 10¾ lengths ahead of the third-place finisher.

Joel Rosario has the mount on Venetian Harbor and will break from post position two.

Slam Dunk Racing, Doug Branham and Legacy Ranch's Tonalist's Shape is seventh on the Oaks leaderboard with 60 points. A winner of six of seven career starts for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., Tonalist's Shape has victories this year in the Davona Dale (G2) and Forward Gal (G3) at Gulfstream Park.

Tyler Gaffalione has the mount on Tonalist's Shape and will exit post five.

The field for the Central Bank Ashland, with riders from the rail out, is: Alta's Award (Ricardo Santana Jr.), Venetian Harbor (Rosario), Bonny South (Velazquez), Envoutante (Jose Ortiz), Tonalist's Shape (Gaffalione), Speech (Javier Castellano). All starters will carry 121 pounds.

The post Venetian Harbor, Bonny South, Tonalist’s Shape Face Off In Grade 1 Ashland appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Source of original post