Tonalist's Shape smokes a half-mile in work

The last thing trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. wanted or expected was to see his multiple stakes-winning filly Tonalist’s Shape work four furlongs in 45.35 seconds as she did Sunday morning at Gulfstream Park. But the manner in which the once-beaten 3-year-old did so had Joseph using superlatives like “phenomenal” and “breathtaking” to describe the move when looking back on it the following morning.

:: Start earning weekly cashback on your wagering today. Click to learn more.

Breaking off about six lengths behind a workmate, Tonalist’s Shape shaded 23 catching her target before the end of an opening quarter-mile, then continued to pour it on while racing out near the middle of the track down the stretch, never being asked for her best and sustaining excellent energy galloping out into the turn.

“I don’t know if you can ever say a horse went in 45 easily, but it sure looked that way to me,” Joseph said. “I put blinkers on her for the first time today, a small cheater blinker. She’s never been a great work horse, but she’s really worked better and better over the past several weeks with this one the best one yet. It looks like she’s really coming into herself now, and she will likely run in blinkers in her next start.”

As fast as she worked, Tonalist’s Shape didn’t even get the bullet for the half-mile on Sunday’s tab, with that honor going to the older graded stakes winner Cookie Dough, who covered the distance in 45.22. She was formerly trained by Joseph but now is in the barn of Juan Alvarado.

“I really didn’t think the track was overly fast yesterday,” Joseph said Monday. “At least comparing it to other works in my barn. Obviously, I know Cookie Dough, and she is a really, really good work horse.”

:: To stay up to date, follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Joseph said the Ashland at Keeneland on July 11 is foremost on his radar for Tonalist’s Shape, who has won 6 of 7 career starts, including the Grade 2 Davona Dale and Grade 3 Forward Gal over the winter at Gulfstream Park. He added she also would likely be nominated for the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga, to be run July 18.

Joseph waited until Monday morning to work the other big 3-year-old in his barn Ny Traffic, who went an easy three furlongs in 36.60 before galloping out a half-mile in 49.60, according to the track clocking staff. The work was the first for Ny Traffic since June 14.

“I missed a work with him last week because he acted a bit colicky one morning,” Joseph said. “We had been looking at the Blue Grass, but because of that hiccup we’ll probably go to the Haskell the following week with the Peter Pan as a fallback plan. We already should have enough points to make the Derby field, so that’s not a major factor in deciding where he runs next.”

Ny Traffic stands eighth on the qualifying points list for the 2020 Kentucky Derby.