Less than a day after his seven-year-old horses took first and second place in the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. led his promising 3-year-old colt to an impressive debut win at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Florida.
Code Review, a son of Uncle Mo, was bought as a yearling by C2 Racing for $575,000. On Sunday, he quickly took command of the six-furlong race, finishing in 1:10.25 and winning by one and a half lengths.
Owned by C2, Ken Reimer, JRM Stables, and Tami Bobo, Code Review outpaced Amber Jack from Amo Racing USA, posting splits of 21.80 and 44.90 seconds under jockey Airad Ortiz Jr. The colt narrowly kept third-place finisher Royal Crescent at bay by one length.
Joseph shared, “We spent a lot of time with him because he shows tremendous talent. We tried to keep him protected and calm, but he was a little restless in the morning. I wasn’t sure how he’d handle the paddock, but he surprised me by staying so composed.”
Looking ahead, Joseph noted that Code Review might be brought back for the Breeders’ Cup. “If everything goes smoothly, we plan to enter him in one of the Derby prep races. We’re a bit behind, but there’s still time to get ready for those events.”
Code Review is out of the Maryland mare Chattertown, a daughter of Speightstown, who was a stakes winner in New York at three years old.
Later the same day at Gulfstream, Canaletto, a $1 million colt sired by Into Mischief and owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter Brandt, and Brooke Smith, secured a mile-long victory on trainer Chad Brown’s home turf. Canaletto led by three lengths around the turn, finishing in 1:36.28, while Lost Money took second, and Spartacus slipped to fifth place.
This colt is a half-brother to Sandman and She Can’t Sing.
Other notable Sunday races included Connect the Stars, a filly by trainer Mark Casse’s Connect, who claimed her first win after five prior attempts. The Irish-bred Vasey, sired by Space Blues and piloted by jockey Tyler Gaffalione, won comfortably over seven and a half furlongs on turf. Additionally, Timeless Wonder, a daughter of Not This Time, brought victory to trainer Todd Pletcher and jockey John Velasquez in their first race since April.
This report originally appeared in the Paulick Report on January 25, 2026.
Fan Take: This promising start for Code Review signals the arrival of a potential future star who could shake up the Derby trail, offering fans exciting competition ahead. Meanwhile, the success of young horses like Canaletto shows the depth and quality of emerging talent, underlining the sport’s vibrant future.
