Tonalist's Shape will try to get back on track in Raven Run

MIAMI – On Sunday morning, Tonalist’s Shape worked five furlongs in 1:00.62 at Gulfstream Park. On Monday morning, she boarded a van for Keeneland where she’ll make her next start in Saturday’s Grade 2 Raven Run, a seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies.

Tonalist’s Shape will be looking to get back to her top form after finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga on July 18 and fifth in the Grade 3 Charles Town Oaks on Aug. 28. She was favored in both races.

“I thought she worked really well yesterday,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Monday. “I thought if she hadn’t gotten stopped, she would have finished second at Charles Town.”

Joseph has not yet selected a rider for Tonalist’s Shape, who won the Grade 2 Davona Dale and Grade 3 Forward Gal within four weeks during the Gulfstream Park championship meet.

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Gibberish on the improve

Joseph has another up-and-coming 3-year-old filly in the barn, the steadily improving Gibberish, who won for the third time in her last four starts when defeating older females last Sunday at Gulfstream Park West. Gibberish withstood race-long pace pressure before holding off the more seasoned Bella Ciao by a nose going one mile.

Gibberish, a daughter of Lea, is owned by E Five Thoroughbreds and was turned over to Joseph’s care after her former trainer, Kiaran McLaughlin, retired to become Luis Saez’s agent earlier this season.

“She came into our barn in great shape and always trained like a good horse since we got her,” said Joseph. “Basically, she was supposed to get beat last week as fast as she went early and with the pace pressure she was under. The horse that dueled her I think ended up last. But she showed a lot of gameness to still get it done.”

Joseph said a stakes could be on the horizon for Gibberish.

“She’s lost most of her conditions, so life gets tougher from here,” Joseph said. “We are considering a race in New York, the Comely going a mile and one-eighth at Aqueduct on Nov. 27. We’ll just wait and see.”

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Town Classic stretches out

Joseph is sending out likely favorite Town Classic in Thursday’s $43,000 allowance and optional-claiming feature at Gulfstream Park West. The race is for 3-year-olds and up going a mile over the main track.

Town Classic is coming off a second-place finish for a $25,000 price tag going seven furlongs over a sloppy track on Sept. 12 at Gulfstream Park. Town Classic was transferred to Joseph’s barn during the summer, and on Aug. 28 finished fourth for him going six furlongs under a $25,000 tag.

“I probably ran him too short off the layoff the first time we ran him,” said Joseph. “Last time was a much better race. Now we’ll try him two turns, which he’s handled well in the past.

“My only concern is that he has a lot more seconds and thirds than wins on his record, and does seem to have a tendency to hang a little at the end.”

Town Classic again faces Meade, who stalked the pace and beat him by a nose on Sept. 12. The win was the first for Meade since he was claimed by trainer Mike Maker for $25,000 in July at Gulfstream Park.

Other contenders include Prince James, who has been gelded since finishing second behind the improved Like You in his last start; R U Lucky, a winner of three of his last four outings; and Rebelde.