Navajo Warrior could log some miles en route to Saudi Cup
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Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. is taking the long view with Navajo Warrior, who stretched out to 1 3/16 miles and won the Grade 3 Pimlico Special on the Black-Eyed Susan card at Laurel. After the race, he said he dreamed of getting the 5-year-old gelding ready for the $20 million Saudi Cup next year, but the road to get there might include many stops.
For a potential next start, the trainer said he was targeting several Midwest stakes races. He specifically mentioned the Grade 3 Cornhusker Handicap, which will be run at Prairie Meadows on July 11. If a race along those lines goes well, Navajo Warrior could then ship to the West Coast in August for the Grade 1 Pacific Classic at Del Mar.
Navajo Warrior spent his early career with trainer Tim Yakteen on the West Coast, where he grew from a maiden claimer to a high-level allowance runner. After changing hands through a private sale, Joseph got him the rest of the way, and he could return to California as a graded stakes contender by the end of the summer.
Joseph is among several trainers who have become notorious for their willingness to ship practically anywhere to give their horse a winning chance. On Kentucky Derby weekend this year, he won seven races at five different tracks. It is not uncommon for him to ship horses to the Caribbean for the Group 1 Barbados Gold Cup, which he won in 2025 with Harrow.
“You learn through trial and error,” Joseph said. “You realize what works and what doesn’t work, and you have to have the right horses ship. Once you get the nominations, you can handicap your chances.”
In the trainer’s words, it’s better to be 4-5 elsewhere than 6-1 at home, and Navajo Warrior could be back on the road in search of more stakes success soon.
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