Skippylongstocking ‘Should Move Forward in His Next Race’

Wolfie’s Dynaghost ‘Great’ Following Record Fort Lauderdale Win

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – Daniel Alonso’s Skippylongstocking looked a lot like his old self Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where he returned to winning form in Saturday’s $150,000 Harlan’s Holiday (G3), a 1 1/16-mile prep for the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 24.

The 6-year-old multiple graded-stakes winner, who captured the 2022 Harlan’s Holiday late in his 3-year-old season, entered Saturday’s renewal off a pair of disappointing efforts while finishing seventh in the Aug. 2 Whitney (G1) at Saratoga and eighth in the Aug. 22 Charles Town Classic (G2), in which he experienced the thumps (a spasmic contraction of the diaphragm similar to hiccups in humans).

“We didn’t know if he was fit enough to be back to his best. He showed he was training well. [Saturday] he had to come and do it. Thank God, he did it,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Sunday after reporting that the son of Exaggerator came out of his game performance in good order. “Now we’re back on track. He should move forward off of that.”

Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, Skippylongstocking hooked up for a stretch-long battle with 3-2 favored Poster before edging his 3-year-old rival by a head. While capturing his 10th graded-stakes, the $3.7 million earner secured the opportunity to run in an unprecedented fourth straight Pegasus World Cup, in which his best finish thus far was a third-place finish behind Joseph stablemate White Abarrio in last season’s edition.

“I think he’s just as good, training-wise. I don’t think he could have been at his optimum fitness going into the race. He was coming off the layoff,” Joseph said. “There’s no reason to say that was at his best. He should move forward in his next race if everything goes well.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost ‘Great’ Following Record Fort Lauderdale Win

Woodslane Farm’s Wolfie’s Dynaghost, who set a North American record while winning Saturday’s $200,000 Fort Lauderdale (G3) at Gulfstream Park, exited his 10th career stakes victory in good order.

“He looks great this morning,” trainer Brian Lynch said. “Everything appears to be how we like it.”

The 7-year-old Ghostzapper gelding will be pointed to the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1) at Gulfstream Jan. 24.

“I think he stamped his ticket for that [Saturday], for sure,” Lynch said.

Wolfie’s Dynaghost set all the pace under Irad Ortiz on his way to the final clocking of 1:43.42 that it took to defeat Cugino by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes, in which he eclipsed Warm Heart’s Gulfstream track record time of 1:44.45 set while winning the 2018 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. He also broke the North American record for 1 1/8 miles on turf held by Kostroma, who covered the distance in 1:43.92 at Santa Anita on Oct. 20, 1991.

“For a horse to go off in 22-and-change and to be able to finish like he did is a credit to him,” Lynch said. “He’s just a lovely, lovely, class horse.”

Wolfie’s Dynaghost boosted his career earnings to $1.35 million Saturday while making only his second start since joining Lynch’s stable. He was coming off a 2 ¾-length triumph in the Nov. 8 River City (G3) at Churchill Downs.

“He came over in really good order. There were no changes made. We just tried to keep him happy and slide him into our program. He’s adjusted well, not that there was a lot of adjustment,” Lynch said. “He’s just a classy horse that still has a lot of run on his mind.”