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Joseph Sophomores Tune Up

A pair of sophomores from trainer Saffie Joseph’s barn tuned up for graded stakes engagements with five-furlong works at Gulfstream Park Sunday.

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), currently seventh in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying-points standings, breezed five furlongs in :58.64 (1/12) in preparation for a likely start in the July 18 GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park.

“I worked him Monday last week, so he came back in six days. I wanted to get a good work into him and he worked super. He finished up really good. He ran the last quarter in :22 4/5 and galloped out strong,” Joseph said. “After that work today, I’d say we’re probably going to run him in the Haskell, 95% sure.”

Ny Traffic, third in the GII Risen Star S. in February, was runner-up in both the Mar. 25 GII Louisiana Derby and the May 23 GIII Matt Winn S.

Joseph also sent Tonalist’s Shape (Tonalist) out to work Sunday at Gulfstream. The filly went five furlongs in :59.43 (3/12) after turning in a four-furlong work in :45.35 (2/60) last Monday.

“Last week’s work was a little quicker than ideal, so we just tried to slow her down a little. Once again, she worked super. We’re very happy with where we are with her,” said Joseph.

Of the filly’s next start, Joseph said, “We still haven’t decided. It’ll be either [Saturday’s 1 1/16-mile GI] Ashland S. [at Keeneland] or the [July 18 1 1/8-mile GI] Coaching Club American Oaks [at Saratoga]. We’ll probably decide [Monday].”

Tonalist’s Shape, winner of the GIII Forward Gal S. in February and GII Davona Dale S. Feb. 29, was a well-beaten seventh while trying a route for the first time in the Mar. 28 GII Gulfstream Park Oaks, but rebounded to win the 1 1/16-mile Hollywood Wildcat S. May 15 at Gulfstream in her most recent start. She currently ranks seventh in qualifying points for the Sept. 4 GI Kentucky Oaks.

Math Wizard (Algorithms), who gave Joseph his first Grade I success in last year’s Pennsylvania Derby at Parx, breezed a half-mile in :49.14 (16/58) in preparation for the GIII Monmouth Cup on the Haskell undercard.

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‘Stormy’ Outlook in the Poker

The only female in Belmont’s GIII Poker S. field Saturday, Gary Barber’s Got Stormy (Get Stormy) enters the eight-furlong test packing top credentials as one of only two Grade I winners in the field of nine. Victorious in last summer’s De La Rose S. against fillies at Saratoga, she returned a week later to score by 2 1/2 lengths over the boys in the GI Fourstardave H. Not ducking anyone when second in the GI Woodbine Mile and GI Breeders’ Cup Mile last fall, she came from off the pace to take the Dec. 1 GI Matriarch S. at Del Mar. Winless in three starts this season, Got Stormy’s best effort came when second by a neck in the GI Frank E. Kilroe Mile Santa Anita Mar. 7. Last out, she ran fourth in the June 3 GIII Beaugay when chasing frontrunning Rushing Fall off a near three-month layoff at Belmont.

“The California race was very good,” said trainer Mark Casse. “Her last race was disappointing, but we took her out of her element. There was no speed in the race and we tried to keep her closer and that was to her demise. We won’t do that again, we’ll let her settle.”

Got Stormy scratched out of last Saturday’s GI Just a Game after persistent rainstorms soaked the Belmont green. Casse said he made the call after watching Monkeyseemonkeydo (Twirling Candy) win a seven-furlong turf maiden June 27 in 1:24.15.

“After watching them run seven-eighths in :24 and change, I said this turf is not for us,” explained Casse. “She didn’t get really good until last summer and her best races are on hard ground. I think the soft turf got her beat in the Woodbine Mile and she was just beat by a better horse at the Breeders’ Cup.”

“We’re just trying to find her top form and I believe it has to do with a harder turf course,” added Casse. “She won’t get it this weekend at Belmont, but she also likes the sharper turns at Saratoga and Santa Anita because she has a quick turn of foot when you ask her to go.”

Trainer Chad Brown is responsible for the only other Grade I winner in the Poker field, Valid Point (Scat Daddy), who will be accompanied by stablemate Value Proposition (GB) (Dansili {GB}) in the gate Saturday. Owned by eFive Racing Thoroughbreds and Michael J. Ryan, Valid Point won his first three career starts, including a one-length score in the GI Secretariat S. at Arlington last August. The colt completed his 3-year-old campaign with an off-the-board effort in October in the GI Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. Klaravich Stables’ Value Proposition recorded a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure last out when capturing an optional-claiming turf mile at Belmont June 3. Hall of Famer Javier Castellano will pilot Valid Point from post 2 while Value Proposition will exit post 9 under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

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Breeders’ Cup Announces 16 Challenge Series Races For August

Headlined by two automatic qualifiers for the $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) and three “Win and You're In” starting positions at York's Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders' Cup today announced its August schedule of races as part of the 2020 Breeders' Cup Challenge Series.

The Breeders' Cup Challenge, now in its 14th year, is an international series of stakes races whose winners receive automatic starting positions and fees paid for a corresponding race in the Breeders' Cup World Championships, which is scheduled to be held this year on Nov. 6-7 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

There will be 16 Breeders' Cup Challenge races in August, beginning on Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the 1 1/8-mile Whitney (G1), which will give the winner an automatic starting position into the 1 ¼-mile, $7 million Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, as well as the 1 1/8-mile Personal Ensign (G1), providing the winner with a “Win and You're In” for the 1 1/8-mile, $2 million Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1). Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) will be awarded to the winner of the 6-furlong Bing Crosby Stakes (G1). The following day, Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its “Win and You're In” for the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff, the 1 1/16-mile Clement L. Hirsch Stakes (G1).

On Aug. 8, the first “Win and You're In” for a spot in the 7-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) will be on the line in the 7-furlong Ballerina Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.

One week later, on Aug. 15 at Saratoga, the winner of the 1 ¼-mile Alabama Stakes (G1), for 3-year-old fillies, will earn a free bid into the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff. The Alabama will be televised live on NBC as a part of the “Breeders' Cup Challenge Series Win and You're In – presented by America's Best Racing.”

The scene will then shift to Europe for the next four Breeders' Cup Challenge races. On Aug. 16, France's historic racing venue, Deauville, will host the 1-mile Prix du Haras de Fresnay-Le Buffard – Jacques Le Marois (G1), granting an automatic berth into the 1-mile, $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) on turf.

On Aug. 19 in Great Britain, York Racecourse will open its Yorkshire Ebor Festival, which will be home to three Breeders' Cup Challenge Series races. On the first day of the meet, the 1 ¼-mile Juddmonte International Stakes (G1) will offer Europe's only free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. On Aug. 20, fillies and mares will be in spotlight for the 1 ½-mile Darley Yorkshire Oaks (G1), with the winner awarded a free spot in the 1 3/16-mile, $2 million Maker's Mark Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). A “Win and You're In” position for the 5 ½-furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) will be at stake the following day, Aug. 21, in the 5-furlong Coolmore Nunthorpe Stakes (G1).

Back in the U.S., three Breeders' Cup Challenge races will be held on Aug. 22. Saratoga will host the 1-mile Fourstardave (G1), earning the winner a free spot in the TVG Breeders' Cup Mile. Del Mar will host two Breeders' Cup Challenge races: the 1 ¼-mile TVG Pacific Classic (G1) for the year's sixth automatic berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic, and the 1 3/8-mile Del Mar Handicap – presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2), a “Win and You're In” for the $6 million Longines Breeders' Cup Turf (G1).

On Aug. 23, the second “Win and You're In” for the 5 ½ -furlong, $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G2) will be offered at Deauville in the 6-furlong Darley Prix Morny (G1) for 2-year-olds.

The month of Challenge Series races will close with two events on Aug. 29: the 1 ½-mile Sword Dancer (G1) at Saratoga for a free berth into the Longines Breeders' Cup Turf, and the 7-furlong Pat O'Brien Stakes (G2) at Del Mar, which offers an automatic starting position into the 1-mile, $2 million Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).

As part of the enhanced benefits to horsemen competing in the series, Breeders' Cup will pay the entry fees and guarantee a starting position in a corresponding Championships race for winners of all Challenge races. The Challenge winner must be nominated to the Breeders' Cup program by the Championships' pre-entry deadline of Oct. 26 to receive the rewards, and those rewards must be used in the year they are earned.

Breeders' Cup also will provide a $10,000 travel allowance for starters within North America that are stabled outside of Kentucky, and a $40,000 travel stipend to the connections of all Championship starters from outside of North America.

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Breeders’ Cup Announces Challenge Series Races for August

Headlined by three automatic qualifiers for the $7-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic and three “Win and You’re In” starting positions at York’s Ebor Festival in Britain, the Breeders’ Cup announced its August schedule of Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series races Wednesday.

There will be 16 Breeders’ Cup Challenge races in August, beginning Aug. 1 with two races at Saratoga Race Course and one at Del Mar. Saratoga will host the GI Whitney S., which will give the winner an automatic berth into Classic, as well as the GI Personal Ensign S., providing the winner a spot in the starting gate for the $2-million GI Longines Breeders’ Cup Distaff. Later that day at Del Mar, the second automatic berth into the $2-million GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint will be awarded to the winner of the GI Bing Crosby S. The following day, Aug. 2, Del Mar will host its “Win and You’re In” for the Distaff, the GI Clement L. Hirsch S.

The rest of the August schedule with corresponding Breeders’ Cup events are as follows: the Aug. 8 GI Ballerina S. at Saratoga (Filly & Mare Sprint), Aug. 15 GI Alabama S. at Saratoga (Distaff), Aug. 16 G1 Prix Jacques Le Marois at Deauville in France (Mile), Aug. 19 G1 Juddmonte International S. at York in Great Britain (Classic), Aug. 20 G1 Darley Yorkshire Oaks at York (Filly & Mare Turf), Aug. 21 G1 Coolmore Nunthorpe S. at York (Turf Sprint), Aug. 22 GI Fourstardave H. at Saratoga (Mile), GI TVG Pacific Classic (Classic) and GII Del Mar H. (Turf) at Del Mar, Aug. 23 G1 Darley Prix Morny at Deauville (Juvenile Turf Sprint), Aug. 29 GI Sword Dancer Invitational S. at Saratoga (Turf) and GII Pat O’Brien S. at Del Mar (Dirt Mile).

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