Longer proves better for Skippylongstocking

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – One couldn’t have blamed trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. if he lost his cool just a little bit when he was unable to make the trip to New York for last Saturday’s Belmont Stakes after a faulty air-conditioning system forced his flight from Fort Lauderdale to be canceled after a four-hour wait.

Fortunately, things worked out well in the end for Joseph, who watched from home as his Skippylongstocking finished third behind the Todd Pletcher duo of Mo Donegal and Nest after prompting the pace in the Belmont.

“We were delayed three hours before boarding then sat on the runway for another hour without any air conditioning,” Joseph said. “Medics actually had to come onboard at one point to treat someone who’d fainted from the heat before the flight was canceled. I’m not a good traveler as it is, so I took that as a sign to cancel the trip altogether. Obviously, it wasn’t going to make a difference in how Skippy ran whether I was there or not.”

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Joseph cites the decision to stretch out Skippylongstocking as the key to his sudden turnaround. Skippylongstocking finished sixth going a one-turn mile in the Mucho Macho Man and fourth in an allowance race this past winter before winning an allowance race going a two-turn 1 1/8 miles in March. He finished third behind Mo Donegal and Preakness winner Early Voting in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial going 1 1/8 miles.

“He seemed to be going in the wrong direction,” Joseph said. “We were actually leading him in the wrong direction before we stretched him around two turns and he won that allowance race at Gulfstream. One thing about him, he might not have the talent of some of these other 3-year-olds but he’s stayed the course. He’s a strong horse who has handled a lot of races. You can say maybe he ran third in the Belmont by default, but he got a great trip and he’s kind of climbed the ladder at a time where others have been going in the wrong direction. And he’s given us a lot of excitement along the way.”

Skippylongstocking will remain at Belmont and get a brief freshening with the West Virginia Derby on Aug. 6 at Mountaineer his next objective.

“We want to give him a more realistic spot next time, avoid the big guns, and if he were to run one-two in West Virginia, the Travers could be a high-end kind of target to maybe take a shot at after that,” Joseph said.

Joseph’s top 3-year-old prospect earlier this season was Florida Derby winner White Abarrio, who is being pointed to the Grade 3 Ohio Derby on June 25 at Thistledown. White Abarrio has not started since his 16th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby.

“He was wide all the way,” Joseph said. “The trip obviously didn’t go the way we wanted in the Derby. It was just one of those days. Hopefully, we can get him back on track in Ohio and then look for something bigger next time.”

3-year-old fillies meet in allowance

Friday’s 10-race program is highlighted by a pair of allowance races, the best of which is carded at a mile for 3-year-old fillies on the main track. The race lured a field of eight, with last-out winners Ha’ Penny and Rachel’s Rock among the top contenders.

Ha’ Penny defeated similar company here in her previous start, rallying from midpack to a two-length victory over Peachy Weachy and Easy Come Easy Go, who will be among the competition once again Friday.

Rachel’s Rock registered a 3 1/4-length maiden victory going six furlongs while making just her second start and first in nearly nine months on May 22. She’ll try to stretch her speed to a mile for the first time and figures to be part of the early pace along with Poiema and Freccia d’Argento, who lost all chance when breaking in a tangle under similar conditions here last month.

◗ Racing at Gulfstream Park has switched to a Friday-through-Sunday schedule for the remainder of the summer. There will be no turf racing offered here until further notice as the course undergoes a complete makeover.