Skippylongstocking seeks third straight Challenger win
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OLDSMAR, Fla. – Skippylongstocking seeks a third consecutive victory in the Challenger Stakes Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. Only this year, he comes into the 1 1/16-mile race under different circumstances that strengthen his case as the horse to beat.
In the previous two years, Skippylongstocking came into the Challenger off bad performances in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream. This year, however, Skippylongstocking comes into the Challenger off a third-place finish behind stablemate White Abarrio in the Pegasus, a race where he was beaten a neck for second by Locked, who came back to dominate last Saturday’s Grade 1 Santa Anita Handicap by 8 1/2 lengths.
“I thought the Pegasus was a huge run. We were drawn poorly [post 9]. We were drawn right next to Locked. It’s a tough draw to overcome,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “We rode him more patiently. We didn’t want to be wide. Tyler [Gaffalione] gave him a great ride. He was basically third best on the day.”
Steal Sunshine, who was sixth in the Pegasus, came back to run a terrific second to Mindframe in the Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Mile.
Skippylongstocking, a seven-time stakes winner and earner of $3.3 million, drew the outside post in an eight-horse Challenger field. It appears as though he has ample speed inside of him in Most Wanted and Patriot Spirit.
“He’s versatile,” Joseph said of Skippylongstocking. “He can lead or stalk.”
Skippylongstocking’s main threat Saturday is Most Wanted, who makes his 4-year-old debut after going 4 for 5 in 2024 with victories in the Ellis Park Derby and Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby. In his final start last year, Most Wanted finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Rattle N Roll, in the Grade 2 Clark at Churchill Downs.
Rattle N Roll came back to win The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Cup in Saudi Arabia and is heading to the Dubai World Cup after a distant fifth in the Saudi Cup. Hit Show, who was third but disqualified to fifth in the Clark, came back to win the Grade 3 Louisiana Stakes before finishing a well-beaten third in the Santa Anita Handicap.
Trainer Brad Cox likes the way Most Wanted, a half-brother to multiple Grade 1 winner Life Is Good, has trained this winter at Payson Park.
“He’s lightly raced. He’s trained really well. Obviously, [we’re] just trying to get his 4-year-old season kicked off and thought this was a good spot to do it,” Cox said.
Patriot Spirit won the Inaugural Stakes at Tampa in December 2023 and the Illinois Derby at Hawthorne in the spring of 2024. In his 4-year-old debut, he finished a stubborn second, a neck behind The Wine Steward, in the Fifth Season Stakes at Oaklawn. In that race, Patriot Spirit set a moderate pace under Cristian Torres and dug in when The Wine Steward came to him.
Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Patriot Spirit Saturday.
Bendoog, trained by Bill Mott, has not run since he was beaten a nose by Law Professor in a multi-conditioned allowance race last Oct. 25 at Aqueduct. He was on a steady work pattern from Jan. 7 through Feb. 17 but has not shown a workout in the last two weeks.
Instant Coffee, Life Is Precious, O Captain, and El Principito complete the field.
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