Barn Tour: After a banner year, Joseph updates on 15 runners

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. had a banner year in 2024, with his earnings of $16.6 million far outstripping his previous high of $10.7 million the year before.

This year, he’s on pace to top that record, as he stands about $22,000 shy of his 2025 mark with two racing weekends to go.

Joseph’s 14 graded-stakes victories this year are two fewer than his 2024 total, but he has a chance to catch up there too, with stakes entries this weekend.

“Obviously we thank the owners that give us these horses, and we're getting better quality every year and we're making the most of it,” Joseph told Horse Racing Nation this week from his base in Florida.

Joseph, who has about 175 horses in training, provided updates on his top runners for HRN’s Barn Tour series.

Skippylongstocking. Now 6 going on 7, the son of Exaggerator won the Grade 2 Hollywood Gold Cup in May but then was seventh in the Whitney (G1) and eighth in the Charles Town Classic (G2). He’s entered in the Harlan’s Holiday (G2) on Saturday at Gulfstream Park. “The Whitney wasn't a bad run, but the Charles Town Classic was a very disappointing effort. … We gave him a rest after. We kind of built him back up for this race and feel he's in good order and hopefully he'll get back to his best form. In his work, it doesn't indicate that he's getting older. He's just as good. He has to go there and prove it.”

White Abarrio. Also 6 going on 7, the son of Race Day started the year with wins in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) and the Ghostzapper (G3) but then was fourth in three straight Grade 1s: the Met Mile, Whitney and Jockey Club Gold Cup. He was scratched by veterinarians during the post parade for the Breeders’ Cup Mile, a decision that is being challenged by owners C2 Racing Stable and Gary Barber. “He had to work off the vet list last week, which he did that. He's on target to go to the Mr. Prospector (G3).”

Regarding the Breeders’ Cup scratch, Joseph said, “At the end of the day they have a judgment call to make. Whether their judgment's wrong or right, they don't face any consequences. When you look at a horse for seven days, if you're going to scratch the horse, you had seven days to scratch the horse and you wait until the last minute to scratch it. It shouldn't get to that point. Whether you're right or wrong, nobody wants to find out if you're right or wrong in that aspect, but the process wasn't played out the way it should be. If he needed to be scratched, he shouldn't have been allowed on his track. You move forward and when you can't control what people do, you just control what you do.”

Mystic Lake. The 4-year-old Mo Town filly has won her last four starts, all in black-type stakes and at four tracks, but she hasn’t had a start since September. She is entered in the Sugar Swirl on Saturday at Gulfstream. “We gave her a break last time and she's obviously very consistent. She's won her last four and we're kind of bringing her back in this race, the Sugar Swirl, this week, so hopefully she'll run well and set her up for next year. … I'd like to try to get a Grade 1 category if I can, but it's never going to be easy. So as of right now, this is a comeback race. And then she'll probably, if she ran well here, there's a possibility she could probably go to the Inside Information (G2), which she won last year on Pegasus Day.”

Indy Bay. The 3-year-old filly by Take Charge Indy won four of five starts before being eased in the Cotillion (G1) on Sept. 20, her most recent start. “We tried her last time going two turns. It didn't work out. We gave her a break. She's been working well. She's had two works back, so we don't know where we’ll bring her back yet, but it'll probably be sometime in early January. She could go straight to the Inside Information.” In the Cotillion, “she was going two turns for the first time, so that is a question mark, but she … had to check pretty abruptly. So she lost all chance at that point.”

Haulin Ice. The 4-year-old Coal Front filly had five wins and a second before finishing sixth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint. After a short break, she got back to work last week. “She had a good year last year. She's going to go through Oaklawn, there's a bunch of stakes for her there. She loves Oaklawn – that's where she was born, in Arkansas.”

In Our Time. The 4-year-old filly by Not This Time had only one win this year but finished in the money in all but one of her other starts, including runner-up efforts in the Franklin (G2) and Matriarch (G2) in her two most recent races. “She's going to go to the Pegasus (Filly & Mare Turf, G2). She's knocking on the door. Hopefully she could win one of these big graded stakes.” In Our Time was third in the 2025 Pegasus Filly & Mare Turf.

R Disaster. A 4-year-old filly by Awesome Slew, she has an 8: 4-4-0 record this year, including a win in the Gallant Bloom (G2) two starts back. She’s been on a break since finishing second in the Nov. 8 Dream Supreme Stakes at Churchill Downs. “She had a good year. I would say there's a possibility she could come back in the Inside Information as well, but nothing's decided just yet.”

Hold My Bourbon. The 4-year-old ridgling by Anchor Down is 2-for-8 this year and has made only one graded-stakes start, finishing ninth in the Forego (G1). He also is entered in the Harlan’s Holiday. “Originally, I was going to go ahead in the Mr. Prospector. … I think he can get a distance. I think he can from a pace-scenario point. There isn't a lot of speed, so he should be forward. He likes to run forward to the pace. I think he's definitely training well. He'll put up a good showing.

Divin Propos. Formerly trained by Phil d’Amato, this 5-year-old, France-bred gelding by George Vanderbilt has had two starts for Joseph, finishing seventh in the Kentucky Turf Cup (G2) and then third in a Nov. 2 handicap at Gulfstream last out. He’s entered in the Fort Lauderdale (G3) on Saturday, drawing the outside post in a field of 12. “Last time he got a troubled trip. The horse is trained well. I actually like the horse, and I feel like he's going to be a live outsider this week in the Fort. Lauderdale.”

Rileytole. The 2-year-old Mitole filly won her debut in July, then was third in the Spinaway (G1) and second in the Frizette (G1) in her most recent start, earning five qualifying points for Kentucky Oaks 2026. “She needed some time off, so we gave her some time. She's on the farm.” Joseph said he’d like to pursue the Kentucky Oaks trail with her. “We’ll see.”

Neoequos. The 3-year-old Neolithic colt tried the Kentucky Derby after running third in the Florida Derby (G1), finishing 13th at Churchill Downs. Joseph cut him back in distance, and he’s 1-for-3 since, most recently finishing sixth in the Gallant Bob (G2) on Sept. 20. He’s been on a break since. “He's back breezing now. He's going to come back probably in the next month in the Sunshine. We're going to try him on a turf, the Sunshine Turf route with Florida-breds. …  The Neolithics have run well in the grass. Obviously give him a try and let's see how he gets on.”

Alexander Helios. The 5-year-old son of Cairo Prince won the Razorback Handicap (G3) in February but is 0-for-3 since, finishing seventh in the Charles Town Classic (G2) on Aug. 22, his most recent start. “He's on the farm. He's probably going to come back in to us in the beginning of the new year. We gave him a break. His last two races weren't good, so we backed off of him and sent him to the farm. And he's going to come in in January.”

Dazzling Move. The 4-year-old filly by Not This Time has a 7: 1-3-1 record this year, with her win coming in the Royal Delta (G3) in February. She most recently was third in the Delaware Handicap (G3) on Sept. 28. “ She's doing well. We kind of backed off her again. She just started back breezing. Did a couple of breezes. She's probably going to run in the Rampart on the 27th.”

Solitude Dude. The 2-year-old Yaupon colt is 2-for-2, winning his maiden by 9 1/2 lengths and a black-type stakes by eight lengths at Tampa Bay Downs on Dec. 6, both in sprints. “I'm not sure where he's going to go yet, but he's going to obviously have to keep running in the stakes category. We might stretch him out once, see how he gets on. But he's a very talented colt.”

Bravaro. This 2-year-old colt by Upstart also is 2-for-2, scoring most recently in the Sleepy Hollow at the Belmont at the Big A meet. “He's probably going to start back in one of the Derby preps in January or early February, whether it be the Holy Bull (G3) or something in New York.”