Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Saffie Joseph Jr. Sets His Sights On Winning Gulfstream Championship Meet Training Title

After adding the inaugural Fall Meet title to his ever-growing list of accomplishments at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is setting his sights on the upcoming 2021-2022 Championship Meet.

Joseph, whose 36 victories during the fall more than doubled the total of nearest competitor Jorge Delgado, finished second behind perennial leader Todd Pletcher during last season's Championship Meet, eight wins behind the Hall of Famer's total of 58 wins.

“The Championship Meet is Todd's meet. Last year, we were pretty close, but we didn't have as many horses as we have this year. I think we can give him a run for his money,” Joseph said. “He's a legend at Gulfstream. What is it, 15, 16, 17 years? We hope to follow in his footsteps and one day take a run at him. Will it be this year, next year, or the future? I think with the horses were getting and with so many owners supporting us, I think it's possible.”

The 34-year-old Barbados native has long been a fan of the newly inducted Hall of Famer, who has captured 18 consecutive Championship Meet titles.

“I grew up coming here from Barbados on holiday when I was 16, 17, seeing Todd. I would just bet Todd and Johnny V [Velazquez]. That was my favorite combination,” Joseph said. “Just being able to compete against him – he's an icon trainer – I'm just thankful to be in this position.”

Joseph understands he, alone, can't dethrone the longstanding king of Gulfstream.

“I'm just thankful for the horses we have for the people we train for. We have a good team. That's the important thing – you need the horses and a good team behind you,” Joseph said.

Joseph did get the better of Pletcher Sunday when he saddled Girolamo's Attack ($4.20) for a front-running victory in the $60,000 Miami Gardens Handicap. Pletcher-trained Fearless, who captured the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile in February, finished second while coming off a six-month layoff.

Jockey Edgard Zayas, who dominated the Fall Meet title race with 43 wins, once again enjoyed success while teaming with Joseph Sunday while guiding Girolamo's Attack to victory in the mile overnight handicap, in which he carried five pounds fewer than Fearless, the 125-pound highweight.

Girolamo's Attack, who captured the Oct. 27 Miami Beach Handicap in similar fashion, set fractions of :24.12 for the first quarter and :46.57 for the first half mile before holding off Fearless through the stretch to win by a length in 1:34.50.

“His last race was a huge race, but I wasn't sure if because the fractions were so slow, he kicked on and got brave. But today, he definitely showed he's getting better and getting to be a nice horse,” Zayas said. “Early in this horse's career, he had some mental problems. He was a little crazy, but I think he's getting it all together. Today, he acted super professional.”

Fresh off a dominant Spring/Summer Meet title campaign, the 28-year-old native of Puerto Rico finished with 14 wins more than runner-up Chantal Sutherland.

“I'm really happy and blessed. I'm really appreciative of all the opportunities I get from the owners and trainers,” Zayas said. “The quality of horses in South Florida this time of year is getting better, and I've been getting on some nice horses. Hopefully, there are some big things coming up.”

Zayas finished fifth in wins and purses-won during the 2020-2021 Championship Meet and looks forward to the upcoming winter meet that gets underway Dec. 3.

“It's definitely a new challenge. We did pretty good last year. We finished in the Top 5. I'm looking forward to the Championship Meet. I'm super, super excited,” Zayas said.

Zayas and Joseph also teamed for a victory with Designed for Kitten ($6.40) in the Fall Meet's finale.

In Sunday's co-featured Opa-Locka, a mile overnight handicap for fillies and mares, Helping Lisa D ($9.40) pulled off a mild upset following a ground-saving ride by Paco Lopez. The Steven Dwoskin-trained 6-year-old daughter of Flat Out, rated well off the early pace set by 8-5 favorite Dance d'Oro before rallying along the rail to score by 1 ½ lengths in 1:36.50.

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Classic Empire’s Classy Edition Remains Perfect in Key Cents

Classy Edition took her record to a perfect three-for-three and earned the second stakes victory of her career in the Key Cents S. at Aqueduct Sunday. The bay filly was outfooted in the early strides and raced near the back of the pack before rushing up three wide to be mid-pack down the backstretch. She ranged up five wide at the top of the lane, took charge with a furlong to run and strolled clear to the wire.

“It went pretty smoothly,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “It looked like a race on paper that had plenty of pace. The main thing is we just wanted to keep her clean and out of trouble and Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] was able to do that. We had to sacrifice a little bit of ground, but she was able to get into a good, comfortable rhythm.”

Ortiz added, “She broke a step slow, but she put me in the race quick and after that I just waited in the turn. She's the type of filly that needs a little time to get going. She probably wants to go a little farther, but she kept coming and she got there on time. At the quarter-pole, she went by and she just kept going. She's a nice filly.”

Classy Edition was tabbed a 'TDN Rising Star' following a 6 3/4-length romp versus state-bred foes in her 5 1/2-furlong bow at Saratoga Sept. 5 and she followed up with another dominant performance when an eight-length winner of the seven-furlong Joe A Gimma S. at Belmont Sept. 24.

Of possible next starts for Classy Edition, Pletcher said, “We'll see what other options we have now and what we'll do with her for the winter. We're looking forward to stretching her out because I think she ultimately wants two turns.”

Newbie produced a colt by American Pharoah in 2020. She was bred to Laoban in 2021. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

KEY CENTS S., $100,000, Aqueduct, 11-21, (S), 2yo, f, 6f, 1:12.19, ft.
1–CLASSY EDITION, 122, f, 2, by Classic Empire
                1st Dam: Newbie, by Bernardini
                2nd Dam: Changeisgonnacome, by Cherokee Run
                3rd Dam: Top Tip, by Lost Code
'TDN Rising Star' ($550,000 2yo '21 EASMAY). O-Lawana L. &
   Robert E. Low; B-Chester & Mary R. Broman (NY); T-Todd A.
   Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. $55,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0,
   $184,250. *1/2 to Newly Minted (Central Banker), MSW,
   $516,738; and to New Girl in Town (Boys At Tosconova), MSP,
   $172,505.
2–Captainsdaughter, 120, f, 2, Midshipman–Joan's Rose, by
Service Stripe. O-Joseph Birnbaum; B-Ocean View Stable (NY);
T-Russell J. Cash. $20,000.
3–Shesawildjoker, 122, f, 2, Practical Joke–Tarquinia, by
Speightstown. ($80,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-Joseph Bucci;
B-Three Diamonds Farm (NY); T-David G. Donk. $12,000.
Margins: 3HF, NK, HF. Odds: 0.95, 50.75, 38.25.
Also Ran: Silver Fist, Cupid's Heart, Tosconova Beauty, Makin My Move, Miss Alacrity.

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Monition Puts Perfect Record On Line In Friday’s Gio Ponti At Aqueduct

Hinkle Farms' homebred Monition will bring a perfect record into Friday's $150,000 Gio Ponti, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf test for sophomores, at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.

The Gio Ponti is one of three stakes on a packed Friday card, including the $200,000 Grade 3 Comely at nine furlongs for sophomore fillies and the $150,000 Forever Together in a 1 1/16-mile turf test for fillies and mares.

Trained by Cherie DeVaux, Monition hasn't put a foot wrong through two career starts under jockey Brian Hernandez. The English Channel gelding rallied to a professional three-quarters of a length debut win, advancing inside rivals on the turn and splitting the leaders in the final furlong to capture a one-mile maiden special weight over firm turf at Ellis Park in Henderson, Ky., in September.

“He broke mid-pack and had a nice turn-of-foot at the end,” DeVaux said. “He ran really well. You never know going long first time if they're going to need a race or not, so I was really pleased with him. He had always trained well, so it wasn't a huge surprise.”

Monition followed by demonstrating a new dimension, posting a gate-to-wire score when stretched out to nine furlongs over good going against older allowance company on October 9 at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky.

DeVaux credited Hernandez for the prominent trip.

“Brian made the decision. He saw there wasn't a lot of speed on paper and knew the horse could break sharp,” DeVaux said. “When he made the lead, he made the right decision and let the horse stay comfortable there. It was quite impressive.”

Monition has breezed back five times at Keeneland, including a half-mile in :48.60 on November 16. He will make his Big A debut under jockey Luis Saez from the outermost post 8.

DeVaux said Saez will have plenty of options with the versatile Monition.

“It's going to be up to Luis to play the break and see. If no one is going to go, it's definitely in his wheelhouse to do so,” DeVaux said.

WellSpring Stables' Queen's Plate-winner Safe Conduct, who competed in two-thirds of the Canadian Triple Crown, will make his racing return to New York for trainer Phil Serpe.

The Bodemeister colt enters from starts in the first and third legs of the prestigious Canadian series at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, having won the 162nd running of the $1 million Queen's Plate at 10 furlongs on Tapeta in August ahead of an eighth-place effort in the 12-furlong Breeders' Stakes over yielding turf in October.

Safe Conduct, who sports a ledger of 8-3-1-0 with field-high purse earnings of $606,364, won a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer over firm Belmont turf in May by 2 1/2-lengths in besting Public Sector, who has since developed into a multiple graded stakes winner.

Safe Conduct exited that effort to finish fourth in the off-the-turf G3 Pennine Ridge in May and faded to eighth in the G1 Belmont Derby Invitational in July over good going ahead of his Queen's Plate run.

The talented bay, bred in Ontario by Mitchell Kursner, breezed five-eighths in 1:02.25 November 7 over the Belmont inner turf and followed with an easy five-eighths over Big Sandy in 1:03.86 on November 18.

Jose Lezcano, aboard for the win at Belmont in May, has the call from post 7.

Repole Stable's multiple graded-stakes placed Never Surprised, by Constitution, boasts an all-turf record of 5-2-3-0 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The Kentucky-bred bay made his first two career starts last November at the Big A, winning a six-furlong maiden special weight ahead of a gate-to-wire score in the 1 1/16-mile Central Park.

Never Surprised has made his three sophomore starts in graded company, finishing second in each of the one-mile G3 Kitten's Joy in January at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., the 1 1/16-mile G3 Saranac in September at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., and the nine-furlong G2 Hill Prince in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y. The latter two efforts were both won by Public Sector.

He worked a half-mile in :50.35 on November 19 over the Belmont dirt training track.

“He's training forwardly like he always does. He's a very eager horse in the mornings and he's a little bit that way in his races,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, he can repeat his form here – he's 2-for-2 at Aqueduct and seems to like the course. Kendrick [Carmouche] has certainly had some success with him.”

Kendrick Carmouche, aboard for both wins and the last-out Hill Prince, retains the mount from post 6.

[Story Continues Below]

Thomas Albrecht, Vincent Fusaro, and James Klein's New York-bred Ocala Dream arrives from a close fifth, defeated just two lengths, in the seven-furlong Carle Place contested over firm footing on October 22 at Belmont.

Trained by Tom Morley, the Effinex chestnut captured the New York Stallion Stakes Series Spectacular Bid for eligible state-sired 3-year-olds going seven furlongs over the Widener turf at Belmont in June.

He exited that effort to finish off-the-board in the NYSSS Cab Calloway in July at Saratoga but made amends with a rallying nose score in an open 1 1/16-mile optional-claiming test ahead of the Carle Place.

Dylan Davis, who has piloted the colt in his last two starts, retains the mount from post 5.

Rounding out the field are Kygo [post 1, Manny Franco], a formerly French-based son of Adlerflug making his North American debut for trainer Mike Maker; the graded-stakes placed Original [post 3, Javier Castellano], who captured the one-mile Manila in July at Belmont for trainer John Terranova; and the Irish-bred Gussy Mac [post 2, Jorge Vargas, Jr.], who removes blinkers in search of his first win in North America for trainer Niall Saville. Boldish was entered for the main track only.

The Gio Ponti is slated as Race 8 on Friday's 10-race card. First post is 11:50 a.m. Eastern.

America's Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Aqueduct Racetrack on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Classy Edition Goes Wide To Get The Win In Key Cents Stakes

Already a stakes winner in her last start, Classy Edition added a second one to her resume with a victory in the Key Cents Stakes for New York breds at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y. The daughter of Classic Empire had to go wide on the far turn to find running room, but had plenty of turn of foot in the stretch to overcome that wide trip and get the win.

After an even break, Silver Fist needed a few strides to get her head in front, striding out to a one-length lead with Makin My Move in second and Classy Edition last after being bumped coming out of the gate. Logging fractions of :22.48 for the first quarter and :46.31 for the half-mile, Silver Fist maintained her advantage into the turn, with Making My Move and Miss Alacrity pressing. After improving to sixth in the backstretch, Irad Ortiz Jr. angled Classy Edition five-wide to find racing room entering the Aqueduct straight.

In the stretch, Silver Fist and Makin My Move were unable to hold off the closers, the field bunching up behind Makin My Move as she weakened. Classy Edition rallied with Shesawildjoker to their outside down the center of the track, the Todd Pletcher trainee's closing kick enough to clear and win by 3 1/2 lengths. Captainsdaughter was able to pass Shesawildjoker late to take second, with Silver Fist hanging on for fourth.

The final time for the six-furlong Key Cents was 1:12.19. Find this race's chart here.

Classy Edition paid $3.90, $3.50, and $2.50. Captainsdaughter paid $21.00 and $8.70. Shesawildjoker paid $9.20.

“It went pretty smoothly. It looked like a race on paper that had plenty of pace. The main thing is we just wanted to keep her clean and out of trouble and Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] was able to do that. We had to sacrifice a little bit of ground, but she was able to get into a good, comfortable rhythm,” trainer Todd Pletcher said after the race.

“We had initially targeted the Maid of the Mist, but she got a temperature just before that, so it set us behind schedule a little bit. This seemed like a logical place to bring her back.”

“She broke a step slow but she put me in the race quick and after that I just waited in the turn. She's the type of filly that needs a little time to get going. She probably wants to go a little farther, but she kept coming and she got there on time. At the quarter-pole, she went by and she just kept going. She's a nice filly,” jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. told the NYRA Press Office after the Key Cents.

Bred in New York by Chester and Mary Broman, Classy Edition is out of the Bernardini mare Newbie. Consigned by Sequel Bloodstock, the 2-year-old filly was purchased by owners Robert and Lawana Low at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midatlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $550,000. With her win in the Key Cents, Classy Edition is a perfect 3-for-3 with career earnings of $184,250.

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