Math Wizard targeting Saudi Cup

MIAMI – Math Wizard began the year winning a $16,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream Park. He ended it 10 months later finishing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. During that time, Math Wizard became a Grade 1 winner by capturing the Pennsylvania Derby while earning more than $1 million in a rags-to-riches story second only to Maximum Security’s in the 3-year-old division in 2019.

Math Wizard came out of the Classic in good order and will be given a well-deserved break, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said, before being prepared for his first major goal in 2020, the $20 million Saudi Cup in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 29. Math Wizard will have one start at Gulfstream as a prep for the Saudi Cup, Joseph said.

“He’ll stay in my barn at Gulfstream, do some light jogging, and be sent out to do some swimming a few times a week just to keep him fresh,” he said. “The plan is to get him to peak on Feb. 29.”

Joseph gave two major reasons why he has earmarked the Saudi Cup and not the Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream one month earlier as Math Wizard’s first big race next season.

“If we pointed for the Pegasus, we would not be able to give him this break. The timing just wouldn’t work out if we wanted to back off on him now, which we did,” Joseph explained. “Secondly, the owners sold a share of the horse to a partner from Saudi Arabia, with one of the conditions being he would run over there.”

Joseph said he was very pleased with Math Wizard’s performance in the Classic. He rallied from last after the opening mile to finish fifth in the 11-horse field, 15 lengths behind the winner, Vino Rosso.

“On paper, he might have been considered the worst horse in the race,” said Joseph. “But for him to ship all the way over there and close ground on a track that wasn’t suiting closers I thought was a very credible effort. He beat some very solid horses, and two of the horses that beat him have been retired, which bodes well for the coming year. The future looks bright.”

Math Wizard is one of 56 horses Joseph will have in his care this winter, a stable that seems to grow on a regular basis. Among the group is Chance It, the top 2-year-old based locally this season and the runaway winner of the 1 1/16-mile Florida Sire Stakes In Reality division in his last start.

Joseph and the connections of Chance It opted to bypass a trip to Santa Anita for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and are considering two races for his 2-year-old finale, the Grade 2 Kentucky Jockey Club at Churchill Downs on Nov. 30 or the $400,000 Springboard Mile at Remington two weeks later.

“Right now we’re leaning towards going to Churchill,” Joseph said shortly after Chance It breezed an easy five-eighths in 1:03.40 with Edgard Zayas aboard on Sunday at Gulfstream. “He’ll have his big work next week, after which we’ll make a final decision.”

Because of the 40 horse stall limit at Gulfstream Park, Joseph will be forced to split his stable this the winter, with the remaining horses to be housed at Gulfstream Park West during the Championship meet, which begins on Nov. 29.

◗ Thursday’s main event is a $39,000 optional claimer for statebreds at a mile on the turf. A field of eight – plus one main-track-only entrant – is led by Mozo Bello, the 9-5 morning-line favorite, who had his modest two-race winning streak snapped when finishing fourth as the public’s choice under similar conditions here four weeks ago.

I Turn a Night Up, who finished a game second, a head and a neck in front of Mozo Bello despite setting a contested pace in that race, returns as well and is among the other key contenders, along with Til the End, Lil Commisioner, and last-out winners Didnt Do It and Ty Ran a Homer.