Skippylongstocking Breezes Friday for G3 Harlan’s Holiday

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000
Gulfstream Juveniles in Saturday Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs
Irad Ortiz Jr. Rides 997th Career Gulfstream Winner Friday
Carryover of $46,080.49 in Saturday’s Super Hi-5 Wager

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Daniel Alonso’s 6-year-old multiple graded-stakes winner Skippylongstocking breezed five furlongs Friday morning in preparation for a planned start in the $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3) Dec. 20 at Gulfstream Park.

Skippylongstocking was clocked in 59.75 seconds, the fastest of four recorded works at the distance over the main track at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County.

“It went very well. We’re very happy with him,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He’s on target for the Harlan’s Holiday.”

The 1 1/16-mile Harlan’s Holiday is a steppingstone to the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 24 at Gulfstream. Skippylongstocking is aiming for his fourth straight start in the Pegasus, his best finish being a third in the 2025 running behind Joseph-trained stablemate White Abarrio.

Purchased for $37,000 as a 2-year-old in training in April 2021, Skippylongstocking has gone on to bank $3,684,110 in purse earnings from 34 starts, 11 of them wins. Among his victories are the West Virginia Derby (G3) and Harlan’s Holiday in 2022; 2023, 2024 and 2025 Challenger (G3); 2023 and 2024 Charles Town Classic (G2); 2024 Oaklawn Handicap (G2) and May 26 Hollywood Gold Cup (G2), his most recent win.

Saturday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $150,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 jackpot pool is estimated to grow to $150,000 for Saturday’s 11-race program at Gulfstream Park.

First race post time is 12:20 p.m.

The popular multi-race wager went unsolved Friday for the third consecutive racing day following multiple mandatory payouts of $13,268.58 Nov. 29.

Saturday’s sequence spans Races 6-11 headlined by the $100,000 H. Allen Jerkens Handicap for 3-year-olds and up scheduled for two miles on the grass in Race 9. The 9-5 program favorite is Summer Cause, who exits a distant fourth in the two-mile John Forbes Memorial Oct. 18 at Far Hills, while 7-year-old Risk Manager chases a fourth win this year and 12th overall for trainer Mike Maker.

The Jerkens honors the late Hall of Famer who wintered for decades at Gulfstream Park. The first stakes victory of Jerkens’ career was the 1955 Display Handicap, contested at 2 1/16 miles.

In Race 8, a starter optional claimer for 3-year-olds and up going 1 1/16 miles on the all-weather Tapeta, Light Fury seeks a 16th lifetime in in his 56 start and first for trainer Bernardo Campos. The 8-year-old gelding has been claimed out of his last six races, the last for $10,000 after a fourth at the course and distance Nov. 15. Longbranch Lou is favored off a 1 ½-length victory at one mile and 70 yards on the Tapeta Nov. 8.

Juveniles are in the spotlight in Race 10, a one-mile optional claiming allowance on the main track where Epic Summer ships in from New York looking to build on a front-running 3 ¼-length debut score Oct. 26 at Aqueduct. Move Jesse Move, Bull by the Horns, My Boy Stan and Yamal all exit maiden wins at Gulfstream.

In the Rainbow 6, the jackpot pool is only paid out when there is a single unique ticket sold with all six winners. On days when there is no unique ticket, 70 percent of that day’s pool goes back to those bettors holding tickets with the most winners while 30 percent is carried over to the jackpot pool.

There will be a carryover of $46,080.49 in the $1 Super Hi-5 wager in Saturday’s Race 11 finale.

Gulfstream Juveniles in Saturday Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs

Several horses from Gulfstream Park and the Palm Meadows Training Center will be in stakes Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs.

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. has entered 2-year-old fillies Tahlequah and My Miss Mo in the Sandpiper and 2-year-old colts Langvad and Solitude Dude in the Inaugural. Thunder Chuck, second in Gulfstream’s Juvenile Sprint for trainer Jorge Delgado, will also contest the Inaugural while trainer Rohan Crichton has entered Freaks Go in the Sandpiper.

Who’s Hot: Jockey Rajiv Maragh earned his 2,000th career victory in Race 3 Friday aboard Lazio ($5), a 3-year-old gelding owned and trained by Mary Lightner. He added No. 2,001 in the Race 10 finale on Oasis Prince ($7.80).

Notes: Irad Ortiz Jr. visited the winner’s circle in Race 7 on Venezuelan Hope ($7.80), his 997th lifetime win at Gulfstream Park … Tyler Gaffalione, a native of Davie, Fla., picked up his first win of the Championship Meet with Three Zero ($4.20) in Race 8 … Seven-pound apprentice jockey Luis Fuenmayor was suspended 15 calendar days for causing interference in Thursday’s fourth race. Fellow rider Mia Nichols, who was involved in the incident, is expected to miss approximately three weeks…. Saturday’s first race, a mile maiden special weight event on the turf for 2-year-olds, drew a field of 10 including Versailles Road, a $250,000 son of Quality Road; Mo Ladies, a $425,000 son of Uncle Mo; and Summer Wind Equine’s homebred Royal Quest, a son of Not This Time.