Joseph has plans for The Queens M G, Skippy & 3 others

Rebounding from a last-place finish last month to deliver a stunning, 44-1 upset Thursday in the Schuylerville, The Queens M G restored her connections’ confidence in her to the point she may make her graded-stakes debut next month at Saratoga.

“I still need to talk it over with the owners, but I think the Adirondack is well in play,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said Friday, referring to the Grade 2, $200,000 race Aug. 4 at Saratoga. “Obviously we need to discuss it, and we will come up with a decision in a few days, but I wouldn’t see any reason not to go there.”

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Owned by C2 Racing Stable and Mathis Stable, the 2-year-old Thousand Words filly went from finishing last of seven June 6 in the Astoria to earning a career-best 73 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form.

“It was a big surprise,” Joseph said. “Coming off that last race it was hard to have a ton of confidence, especially in a race that tough from top to bottom. The team did a great job with her, and we were glad to get the win.”

Daniel Alonso’s multiple graded-stakes winner Skippylongstocking earned show honors in the 1 1/8-mile Stephen Foster (G1) on June 29 at Churchill Downs for Joseph, who said the focus is on the $1 million Whitney (G1) at the same distance on Aug. 3 at Saratoga.

“There’s a strong possibility that he runs in the Whitney,” Joseph said. “I thought it was a very good effort. (Eventual winner) Kingsbarns made an early bid at the quarter-pole, and he got a little intimidated there. He lost his position and then ran back on. He had the fastest final eighth in the race. It is very rare you see a horse drop back and still run the fastest final eighth. ... Overall he probably should’ve been second. At the end of the day he got beat, but I’m not scared of facing any of those horses again.”

Maiden winner Cap Ferrat is entered for Joseph in a turf attempt in Wednesday’s $150,000 Statue of Liberty division of the New York Stallion Stakes Series, a one-mile, inner-turf test for eligible New York-sired sophomore fillies.

The Destin bay owned by Mathis Stables earned a 72 Beyer for a pace-setting debut score over next-out winner Vincey Girl traveling seven furlongs on the Gulfstream Park dirt May 16. Her second dam is graded-stakes-winning turfer Bright Abundance.

“She is by Destin. If you go back in the family, there’s Giant’s Causeway, that’s turf pedigree if you dig back,” Joseph said about the surface switch. “Obviously, Destin was a dirt horse, but it is a Stallion Series race. If she likes grass, it is worth it. Numbers wise she looks good if she can move her form from dirt to turf.”

Cap Ferrat breezed three furlongs over the Oklahoma training turf in 39.59 seconds Friday.

Joseph also nominated Who’s the King and Dilger to next Friday’s 1 1/8-mile $135,000 Curlin, restricted for 3-year-olds which have not won a graded stakes at one mile or more in 2024. Joseph added that Who’s the King is under stronger consideration right now.

Kenneth Ramsey’s Who’s the King, a Not This Time bay who was claimed for $35,000 out of a third-place finish in February at Gulfstream Park, earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure last out when second in a 1 1/8-mile optional claimer June 30 at Churchill. He was a distant sixth in a starter allowance there at 1 1/16 miles May 31 on the heels of a 7 1/4-length victory going one mile at Gulfstream in his first effort for Joseph.

“We were very disappointed with that starter allowance, but he got very rank before the race and in the first turn,” Joseph said. “The Curlin is a step up, but we think he is that kind of horse.”

Dilger is owned by Michael Ryan.