Joseph considering Saratoga string

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said he is hoping to have a string at Saratoga this summer.

Joseph, who has developed one of the stronger barns on the East Coast with the likes of Math Wizard, Ny Traffic, and Tonalist’s Shape, said his goal is to have 12 to 16 horses at the Saratoga meet, which is scheduled to begin July 16.

“We now have the right clientele and the right kind of horses,” Joseph said. “Before we never had those kind of horses. Thankfully, we’re getting them now.”

Meanwhile, Joseph said the Grade 1 Acorn is a possibility for multiple graded stakes winner Tonalist’s Shape, though he’s leaning more toward the Ashland, which is likely to be run in mid-July at Keeneland.

“Timing-wise, it’s not perfect,” Joseph said of the Acorn, “but it’s not totally eliminated yet.”

Joseph said Tonalist’s Shape lost her left-front shoe coming out of the starting gate in her 3 3/4-length victory in last weekend’s Hollywood Wildcat Stakes at Gulfstream.

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