Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) are on target for assignments on Jan. 24 Pegasus Day following stakes wins at Gulfstream Park Saturday.
Skippylongstocking rebounded from a pair of off-the-board efforts to win the GIII Harlan's Holiday Stakes, a prep for the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational, and should improve for the effort, according to trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr.
“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,” Joseph said Sunday after reporting that 6-year-old came out of his game performance in good order.
Skippylongstocking entered Saturday's Harlan's Holiday off a seventh-place effort in the Aug. 2 GI Whitney Stakes at Saratoga and an eighth in the Aug. 22 GII Charles Town Classic, in which he experienced the thumps.
“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.”
Woodslane Farm's Wolfie's Dynaghost, who set a North American record while winning Saturday's GIII Fort Lauderdale Stakes, 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 gelding will now be pointed to the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational.
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 3/4-length win in the Nov. 8 GIII River City Stakes 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.”
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