NY traffic

In a race meant as a prep for next month's GI Pegasus World Cup, O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) staked his claim for potential favoritism with a gusty win in the GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Favored in this same race a year ago, the Chilean import disappointed when fourth behind MGISP Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and was thus never a factor as Art Collector (Bernardini) cruised to the Pegasus win to kick off 2023. O'Connor has spent the rest of his 6-year-old season hitting the board in graded-stakes races around the East Coast and...

Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator) and O'Connor (Chi) (Boboman) each turned in works Saturday morning at Palm Meadows towards an intended appearance in the $3-million GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Owned by Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking won this year's GII Charles Town Classic and was last seen finishing third to Cody's Wish (Curlin) in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile Nov. 4. The soon-to-be 5-year-old covered a half-mile in :49.40 (20/64). O'Connor, campaigned by Mike Iavarone and partners, was a sound fourth in last year's Pegasus and is arguably in better form this...

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) was named likely to make the line-up for Saturday's GI Preakness S. at Pimlico following a four-furlong work in :48 flat (2/88) at Churchill Downs Sunday. "Most likely he's going to go, but tomorrow we'll make the decision," trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. said. "We were very happy with the work." Ny Traffic came up a nose short of Authentic (Into Mischief) when second in the July 18 GI TVG.com Haskell S. Sunday's work was his first since finishing eighth behind that rival in the Sept. 5...

Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), who exited an eighth-place finish in last Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby with a cut in his left front ankle, remains possible for the GI Preakness S. Oct. 3, according to Saffie Joseph Jr. "We got a couple cuts," said Joseph. "He has a staple in his ankle from a cut he got. It looks like he should be OK. Within seven to 10 days we'll decide. The main thing is the staple and when it gets taken out, how it's going to be." Ny Traffic also...

Bob Baffert's formidable GI Kentucky Derby line-up had continued to dwindle along this extended Triple Crown trail--with one of his entries even scratching in the paddock Saturday--but the last colt standing, Authentic (Into Mischief), provided the Hall of Fame conditioner with a record-tying sixth trophy in the "Run for the Roses." Odds-on favorite Tiz the Law (Constitution) ranged up to challenge the winner, but was repelled, and settled for second, beaten 1 1/4 lengths. Huge longshot Mr. Big News (Giant's Causeway) was this year's trifecta crasher, while second choice Honor...

With just seven days remaining until the coronavirus-delayed GI Kentucky Derby, the race's likely second favorite Art Collector (Bernardini) topped a busy Friday morning worktab at Churchill Downs. News also emerged from Saratoga that 'TDN Rising Star' Caracaro (Uncle Mo) would be forced to miss the 'Run for the Roses' after suffering an undetermined injury in a breeze Friday morning. With gameday jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr. in the irons, Bruce Lunsford homebred Art Collector (second in the TDN Kentucky Derby Top 12) went five-eighths of a mile in a 1:00.80...

GI Haskell Invitational S. runner-up NY Traffic (Cross Traffic) prepped for a probable start in the GI Kentucky Derby with a five-panel bullet in 1:00.38 (1/8) in company with GISW Math Wizard (Algorithms) on the main track at Saratoga Thursday. "Math Wizard is a good work horse and with Ny Traffic, we wanted something not speedy but more for endurance. It was a steady work, but next week will probably be his stiffest work," trainer Saffie Joseph said. NY Traffic was also second in the GII Louisiana Derby and GIII...

Authentic (Into Mischief) exited his win in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park in fine shape and will now train up to the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert confirmed Sunday. The colt pulled away to a clear advantage in the stretch of the Haskell before holding on to a last-gasp victory over Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic). "We're going to work on him a little until then [the Derby]," Baffert said. "I was pretty proud of him. He ran well. I might have to put a...

Heavily favored Authentic (Into Mischief) got surprisingly loose early and held on narrowly late in Saturday's GI TVG.com Haskell S., upping trainer Bob Baffert's record win total in the prestigious event to nine and earning an automatic spot in the starting gate for the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Classic. Off at 3-5 looking to atone for a second-place finish at 1-2 behind Honor A. P. (Honor Code) in the GI Santa Anita Derby last month, the bay broke on top and received only token pressure from Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic)...

A pair of sophomores from trainer Saffie Joseph's barn tuned up for graded stakes engagements with five-furlong works at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic), currently seventh in the Sept. 5 GI Kentucky Derby qualifying-points standings, breezed five furlongs in :58.64 (1/12) in preparation for a likely start in the July 18 GI Haskell S. at Monmouth Park. "I worked him Monday last week, so he came back in six days. I wanted to get a good work into him and he worked super. He finished up really good....

The older filly and mare division could be sensational this year. Midnight Bisou (Midnight Lure) is coming off a stellar 4-year-old campaign and will be seen next battling the world's best horses in the Feb. 29 Saudi Cup. Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) is set to return to the races after a layoff of more than a year and will try to duplicate her 2018 form, when she was an Eclipse Award winner and the winner of the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff. And now you can add Jolie Olimpica (Brz) (Drosselmeyer) to...