Skippylongstocking 3-peat highlights Tampa Bay undercard

Skippylongstocking emphatically stamped his name into the history of the Grade 3, $125,000 Challenger Stakes on Saturday at Tampa Bay Downs. He set stakes and track records in winning the 1 1/16-mile race for the third year in a row.

Even in a field cut from eight to four because of scratches, the multimillionaire had to outduel Most Wanted, finally taking the lead for good in the final furlong of what turned out to be a 1 1/4-length triumph.

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“I didn’t want to run into Most Wanted in this race, but we had already committed to run,” winning trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “I have a lot of respect for that horse, but we were full of confidence, because Skippy was doing so well. He traveled well and really laid his head down and finished well.

“Three (Challenger victories) in a row. … He has really taken us on a wild ride. It’s just so special, and all the glory to God. Hopefully next year, we can come back here and make it four in a row.”

Owned by Daniel Alonso and ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, the 6-year-old son of Exaggerator had a winning time of 1:41.20 on the fast main track.

“He’s an incredible horse. He just keeps showing up and brings his track with him everywhere he runs. He is as consistent as they come,” Gaffalione said. “He got a little antsy in the gate and stepped back right before they sprung and kind of leaped out of there, but I was able to get him back to himself, and he carried me well throughout.

“I knew Most Wanted was our main concern, but when I got to him at the quarter pole, my horse found another gear, and I was fairly confident he was going to get the job done.”

Most Wanted (1-1), who took jockey Florent Geroux through pacesetting fractions of 23.89, 47.64 and 1:11.24, dug in down the stretch but did not have enough after Skippylongstocking (3-5) passed him and had a head lead through a mile in 1:34.93. 

“He ran well off the layoff, and I think he’ll get a good bit out of this race,” Most Wanted’s trainer Brad Cox said. “We got away well and had the upper hand up the back side, but we got beat by a good horse. Hopefully, he will move forward off this.”

Instant Coffee (8-1) finished a distant third, and El Principito (19-1) was last home. Bendoog, Life Is Precious, O Captain and Patriot Spirit all were scratched.

Skippylongstocking paid $3.20 and $2.10, and Most Wanted returned $2.10. There was no show wagering.

Skippylongstocking improved to 10-for-30 for his career. The winner’s share of $60,000 raised his career earnings to $3,425,985, and the victory was his eighth in a graded stakes. He was bought privately as a 2-year-old for $37,000.

Saffron Moon wins for Brown in Hillsborough

Six-year-old mare Saffron Moon helped trainer Chad Brown have a big day, getting one of his two stakes wins with her triumph in the 1 1/8-mile $225,000 Hillsborough (G2) on the turf.

Saffron Moon seemed to improve on her previous winning effort at Tampa Bay Downs on Feb. 1 in the Endeavour (G3). Jockey Flavien Prat pointed her toward a gap between horses in mid-stretch, and her heart took over as she surged to a three-quarter-length victory from onrushing Gimme a Nother. Venencia, another Brown runner, rallied for third.

Saffron Moon’s time was 1:47.58, and she improved to 5-for-11 with the $120,000 winner’s share raising her career earnings to $459,625.

“I think this race gives us a lot of confidence her ceiling is unlimited,” said Brown, who has trained a record seven Hillsborough winners. “She has always trained like a good horse; she may not have run much from 2 to 5 (years old), but it was not because we were waiting for her to come around. She was on the sidelines a lot, but when she was in the barn, she was always impressive in the mornings and in her training.”

Prat can’t wait until the next time he gets to ride her.

“We got in a good spot early, and she kicked on well,” he said. “Once I got a gap turning for home, she responded. I got myself in a good spot going into the first turn, the race developed down the backside, and it took a little bit to get an opening, but when she did, she jumped through there. She likes training and she’s getting good.”

Even though the South Africa-bred and raced Gimme a Nother lost for the first time in eight career starts, the 5-year-old mare’s luster did not seem to dim in her first U.S. start.

“She ran great,” her trainer Graham Motion said. “I think it was a pretty credible performance by a horse who hadn’t run since April against a filly who is pretty good.”

Nitrogen gets up late to win Florida Oaks

José Ortiz asked trainer Mark Casse’s 3-year-old filly Nitrogen for her best in the deep stretch, and she boggled up the ground between her and Lush Lips for a half-length triumph. Deloraine rallied for third.

Casse was delighted to score his second Florida Oaks victory, the first coming 13 years ago with Dixie Strike. This one came for the D. J. Stable of Leonard Green.

Nitrogen’s time of 1:40.42 was a course record for the 1 1/16 miles on firm turf.

“I don’t know how. She does it. She just gets there,” said a spent Casse, who looked almost as if he had run the distance himself. “I thought oh, boy, I’ve got to run this horse (Lush Lips) down.”

Ortiz had ridden Nitrogen in her previous two starts, a third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Nov. 1 at Del Mar and a victory on Jan. 4 in the Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He knew she relishes attempting late whirlwind rallies.

“That other filly (Lush Lips) broke well and was not contested on the lead, so I knew she was going to be tough to beat,” Ortiz said. “I decided to wait on the backside and brought my filly back a little and tried to save ground and make a run.

“When I asked her, she gave me a good turn of foot. Sometimes it takes her a little bit to get going, but when she does, she has a big (kick).”

Zulu Kingdom wins by neck in Columbia

After overtaking long-shot leader Peace Cloud on the turn for home, Ireland-bred Zulu Kingdom repelled a strong bid by Reagan’s Wit for a neck length victory in the $125,000 Challenger, a black-type mile stakes for 3-year-olds. Revolutionnaire finished third.

Zulu Kingdom, a multiple graded-stakes winner on the turf as a 2-year-old, improved to 4-for-5, his only defeat being a seventh in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf.

Brown trains the winner, who was ridden by Prat.

The winner’s time of 1:33.24 on the firm turf course was 0.01 seconds off the stakes record set by Winfromwithin in 2021. Zulu Kingdom is owned by the Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss and Michael Caruso. The winner’s share of $60,000 raised his career earnings to $292,607.

Zulu Kingdom attended a lively early pace set by Peace Cloud with Dream On pressuring from the outside. Prat, who had ridden the winner in the Breeders’ Cup at Del Mar and in his victory summer victory in the With Anticipation Stakes (G3) at Saratoga, was encouraged by his action throughout.

“It was a great run. He jumped so well out of there, so I got myself in the race from the beginning,” Prat said. “I was traveling well all the way around and was able to take a nice breather on the far turn, and he kicked on well.

“Honestly, at the sixteenth pole, I didn’t know if (Reagan’s Wit) was going to go by me, but my horse kind of regrouped and kicked on.”

Brown agreed with a winner’s-circle enthusiast who described the victory as a “kick-butt” performance.

“It really was, off the (18-week) layoff,” Brown said. “It was a really, really strong effort. He didn’t have a breather the whole way, and he survived being between horses going fast and held off a nice horse at the end.”