Zipse: Skippylongstocking and Baeza spice up Alysheba

I have nothing but fond memories of the great Alysheba. The Hall of Fame runner was all racehorse and some of his finest moments came under the famed twin spires of Churchill Downs. In the 1987 Kentucky Derby, he was knocked to his knees early in the stretch by his rival Bet Twice, before powering on by for the win. In the 1988 Breeders’ Cup Classic, he closed with an irresistible rush to defeat a loaded field. Considering his accomplishments at the Louisville oval, it’s only fitting that a race is named in his honor there, and this year’s edition of the Grade 2, $750,000 Alysheba Stakes has my full attention. 

Already an earner of better than $5.7 million, Skippylongstocking deserves top billing in the 1 1/16-mile affair on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. Excellent in both starts this year, the 7-year-old star looks to keep the momentum rolling from stablemate, and fellow 7-year-old, White Abarrio’s monster win in the recent Oaklawn Handicap.

A son of Exaggerator, Skippylongstocking is a 12-time graded stakes winner and has never looked better than he has in 2026, his sixth season on the racetrack. He began the year with a strong win over White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park in January and followed that up with a dominant score in the Essex Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn in March for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. The assignment in the Alysheba is anything but a foregone conclusion for the veteran warrior, however.

Leading his competition in the field of nine older males will be the talented Grade 1 winner Baeza. Owned by C R K Stable and Grandview Equine, the son of McKinzie and Puca was a dangerous force on last year’s Triple Crown trail as a lightly raced runner, and finished a strong closing third behind Sovereignty and Journalism over the track in last year’s Kentucky Derby. 

After four straight defeats to one or both of the big two, Baeza had his breakthrough victory late last summer, rolling by Magnitude in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1). A bad break cost him dearly in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but he is now ready for his return to the races as a 4-year-old. In the time away, he moved to the barn of Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott after the untimely passing of his former trainer and new Hall of Famer, John Shirreffs. Veteran rider Junior Alvarado will pick up the mount on Baeza in the Alysheba. 

Scheduled as the day’s ninth race on Friday, the Alysheba has a host of other interesting horses to challenge Skippylongstocking and Baeza. Trainer Todd Pletcher will bring a talented pair of Grande and Disruptor to the field. While each missed the bulk of their sophomore seasons in 2025, they both have come back in fine form this year. 

Grande has won two straight since returning, including the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) last out. The son of Curlin was scratched out of last year’s Kentucky Derby and has finished behind only one horse in his five-race career to date. 

Disruptor has also raced five times in his career and has won two straight since his return. The Gun Runner colt was an impressive winner of the Challenger Stakes (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs last time out. 

Other dangerous runners in Friday’s Alysheba include Grade 1 winners Tappan Street and East Avenue. 

The former is trained by Brad Cox and famously defeated Sovereignty in last spring’s Florida Derby (G1). Tappan Street was forced to miss last year’s Kentucky Derby due to injury and has had two starts since returning. The son of Into Mischief won his return in a Gulfstream Park allowance, but came up empty last time when last of 12 behind Skippylongstocking in the Pegasus World Cup. 

East Avenue earned his Grade 1 victory as a 2-year-old for trainer Brendan Walsh, but also counts some nice performances at Churchill Downs last year among his past performances. The winner of the Matt Winn (G3) returned in good form this year with a recent second-place finish in the Oaklawn Mile (G3). 

The winner of the Oaklawn Mile, Nu What’s New, is also in field and comes into the Alysheba in career-best form for trainer James DiVito. 

The same could also probably be said about Corporate Power. A stakes winner at 3, the Steve Asmussen-trained 5-year-old was away for more than 15 months before returning with two very good performances at Fair Grounds.

Navajo Warrior is the only non-stakes winner in the field, but has won seven of his last nine starts and comes in off a sharp win last time for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.