Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and O’Connor (Chi) (Boboman), multiple graded stakes winners trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., breezed at Gulfstream Park Saturday morning in preparation for scheduled starts in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Jan. 27.
Skippylongstocking and O’Connor were joined on the worktab at Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility by Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who is on the reserve invitational list for the Pegasus World Cup.
Skippylongstocking breezed a bullet five furlongs in 1:00.25 (1/21) ahead of his first start since finishing third in the Nov. 4 GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita.
O’Connor, who is coming off back-to-back graded-stakes victories in the GII Hagyard Fayette S. at Keeneland Oct. 28 and GIII Harlan’s Holiday S. at Gulfstream Dec. 30, breezed a half mile in :50.35 (112/170).
Joseph said that Skippylongstocking and O’Connor have given him reason to expect them to improve on seventh- and 11th-place finishes, respectively, in last year’s running.
“They’re both doing well. They’ve both have become more consistent. O’Connor has rattled off two wins and overcame adversity, so you like to see that,” Joseph said. “Skippy used to be a horse that gave you one good one and one bad one, but he’s been consistent the last four races.”
Ny Traffic, who finished third behind O’Connor in the Harlan’s Holiday, breezed three furlongs in :36.45 (5/61) at Palm Meadows.
At Fair Grounds, ‘TDN Rising Star’ First Mission (Street Sense) breezed five furlongs in 1:00 (1/51) to produce his second straight bullet workout in preparation for the Pegasus World Cup. The Brad Cox trainee, who won the GIII Stonestreet Lexington S. at Keeneland last year, was nosed by Pegasus Invitee Trademark (Upstart) in the Nov. 24 GII Clark S. at Churchill Downs.
At Palm Beach Downs, 2022 GII Suburban S. winner Dynamic One (Union Rags) (five furlongs in :59.31) and narrow Harlan’s Holiday runner-up Grand Aspen (Dialed In) (half mile in :48.40), who are on the invitational list for the Pegasus, breezed for the Pegasus World Cup.
“We worked pretty much everything. I thought overall it was a good morning. We had some good works,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Everybody seemed to have done what we hoped, so right now we’re right on schedule.”
Top West Coast older horses Dirt Mile runner-up National Treasure (Quality Road) (five furlongs in a bullet :59.60) and GII San Antonio S. winner Newgrange (Violence) each worked Saturday at Santa Anita towards potential starts in the Pegasus World Cup as well.
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