WinStar forming 2019 plans for Yoshida, Bulletin and more

Having campaigned Triple Crown winner Justify this year, along with other big-name stakes horses, WinStar Farm is forming plans to again compete on the world scale in 2019. International events, top domestic Grade 1 races and, of course, the Kentucky Derby were all mentioned as targets in a recent interview with Sean Tugel, WinStar’s director of bloodstock services and assistant racing manager.

First on the agenda in 2019 is the Jan. 26 Pegasus World Cup (G1) at Gulfstream Park, which could include both Audible and Battle of Midway. Todd Pletcher-trained Audible is slated prep in the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes (G3) there on Saturday. On the West Coast, trainer Jerry Hollendorfer is expected to send Battle of Midway for his final prep in the San Antonio Stakes (G2) on Santa Anita’s opening day, Dec. 26.

Tugel said multiple Grade 1 winner Yoshida, trained by Bill Mott, will likely pass on the Pegasus. oshida made the switch from turf to dirt when he won Saratoga’s Woodward (G1) and rallied to a fourth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. The Japanese-bred is now being pointed to an overseas target.

“He is in light training down at Payson Park. The Dubai World Cup will be the ultimate goal,” Tugel said. "Whether he runs once before that is kind of up in the air. We’re looking for possible spots to get him going. Most likely not the Pegasus, because we have Audible going there and possibly Battle of Midway, but looking for a dirt option for him between now and the Dubai World Cup probably.”

The Dubai World Cup is scheduled for March 30. At Meydan, Yoshida could run up against Breeders’ Cup Classic third-place finisher Thunder Snow, who won last year's World Cup. Yoshida has traveled overseas before having gone to Royal Ascot last June, when he was fifth in the Queen Anne (G1).

Entering the older horse ranks in 2019 is Tampa Bay Derby (G2) winner Quip. The Rodolphe Brisset trainee was last seen running eighth in the Preakness Stakes following a runner-up performance in the Arkansas Derby (G1). Despite success on the Derby trail, Tugel said connections are thinking Quip will cut back in distance at 4.

“After the Preakness he kind of came out with pretty good bone bruising,” Tugel said. “At that point, we weren’t going to get him back for those mid-summer classics. He’ll probably be like a seven-furlong/miler type, is what we ultimately think he may be. Stretch out to a mile and a sixteenth.

“We’re looking at races. Don’t know if he’ll be ready in time for the Met Mile, or if he’s good enough, but races like that this year. Around one-turn is probably what we’re going to try and focus on with him. Maybe the Vanderbilt and Forego at Saratoga if he can get us there.”

The Met Mile (G1) now runs annually on Belmont Stakes day with the six-furlong Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1) and the seven-furlong Forego Stakes (G1) in July and August, respectively.

Quip posted his first workout back last Saturday at Payson Park. He traveled three furlongs in 38.60.

Another horse entering the older horse division Tugel says WinStar has “really high hopes for” is the filly Abounding Joy, owned by the WinStar StableMates racing syndicate. Abounding Joy, another in Brisset's care, made three starts this year. She broke her maiden at Keeneland before winning a Churchill Downs allowance this spring. She ran second in her debut at Fair Grounds to stablemate Talk Veuve to Me, who later won the Indiana Oaks (G3).

Tugel added she could return to the races for Keeneland’s April meet.

“She’s probably a seven-furlong/miler type as well,” he said. “I don’t know how much she’ll stretch out but she’s very fast. We like her.”

As for the 2-year-olds, Bob Baffert-trained Improbable leads the WinStar juveniles. He is undefeated in three starts and earned 10 points on the “Road to the Kentucky Derby” with his Los Alamitos Futurity (G1) victory over the weekend. Although Justify never raced at 2, there's an obvious physical comparison to be made between the Triple Crown winner and Improbable.

“We like chestnuts with big white blazes,” Tugel said. 

Improbable’s next race plans are pending.

“I’m sure they’ll look at all the different 3-year-old great prep races – Oaklawn or Santa Anita – then whenever he’s ready to run, Bob knows what he’s doing,” Tugel added, “so I’m sure he’ll have two races and third will be the Derby hopefully. Fingers crossed.”

Five Star General could potentially make an appearance on the Derby trail as well. The Arnaud Delacour trainee debuted at Parx in September, finishing sixth on the dirt before entered in two turf races. He broke his maiden at Laurel Park over a sloppy main track a month later and led every step in an off-the-turf version of Aqueduct’s Central Park Stakes. 

“He’s just getting a small, little break down in Tampa and then we’re going to look at either probably the Dania Beach or the Sam Davis for him,” Tugel said. “He’s a horse that we think he actually really wants turf, but he’s run very well on dirt so far. He’s a horse that we have options with.”

The Sam F. Davis Stakes (G3) is part of Tampa Bay Downs’ Derby prep series on Feb. 9, while the Dania Beach Stakes runs a week earlier over Gulfstream Park’s turf course.

WinStar is also partnered on Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint winner Bulletin, another Pletcher horse who won his debut in Gulfstream’s Hollywood Beach Stakes in September. Current plans are to send Bulletin across the pond.

“He’s getting a little break here at the farm,” Tugel said, “and then Royal Ascot will be his ultimate goal this coming spring.”

Connections expect Bulletin will be able to get up to a mile. He’ll likely have one or two races before traveling for the June meeting.