It’s rare to see a victorious trainer leave the winner\u2019s circle only to rush back down the track after a major race, but Safi Joseph Jr. did just that following Skippy Longstocking\u2019s triumph in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Amidst flashing cameras, cheering fans, and celebrating owners, Joseph took a moment to congratulate another competitor, White Avario, who had fought hard to secure second place in the event. He gently placed his arm around the gray horse\u2019s neck, expressing his pride and affection.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never felt so much pressure in my life. Winning wasn\u2019t on my mind,\u201d Joseph said emotionally. \u201cI knew Skippy was doing well, but my focus was on Avario. He went above and beyond, and I had to make sure everything was perfect. What a remarkable horse he is.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI gain nothing from Skippy\u2019s win. Today felt like his birthday, and he truly showed all his spirit,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Both 7-year-olds, Skippy Longstocking (21-1 odds) and White Avario (3-1 odds) had taken very different paths leading up to the $3 million main event on January 24 in Hallandale Beach, Florida.<\/p>\n
After a disappointing performance in the Grade 2 Charles Town Classic on August 22, Skippy Longstocking, participating in his fourth Pegasus World Cup, was diagnosed with \u201cthumps,\u201d an electrolyte imbalance. However, he bounced back with a gritty win in the Grade 3 Harlan\u2019s Holiday Stakes on December 20.<\/p>\n
\u201cHarlan\u2019s Holiday was a pivotal race. It was either a revival or retirement for him,\u201d Joseph explained. \u201cHe impressed us all by improving since then. I had complete faith in him. It\u2019s incredible to see a 7-year-old horse performing better than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
On the other hand, White Avario, the defending Pegasus World Cup champion, faced setbacks after being scratched at the gate by a regulatory vet before the Breeders\u2019 Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar in November. He also missed his planned start at Harlan\u2019s Holiday seven weeks later.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was simply hoping for Avario to return healthy,\u201d Joseph\u2019s voice trembled with emotion. \u201cGiven his injury, there was more scrutiny on him than ever. I\u2019m so proud\u2014he defied expectations and competed like a champion. I\u2019m proud of both these horses.\u201d<\/p>\n
Returning to the winner\u2019s circle, Joseph celebrated with Skippy Longstocking\u2019s delighted owner, Daniel Alonso.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means everything to us,\u201d Alonso shared. \u201cHe\u2019s an exceptional horse who earned this victory. We knew it would be tough from behind today, but he found a new level of speed we’ve never seen before. Beating a great like White Avario makes this win even sweeter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before heading to the post-race press conference, Joseph called back to the barn to check on White Avario and then Skippy, confirming both were in good shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I\u2019m thrilled for Skippy\u2014he\u2019s a horse I love. But I needed to be sure Avario was okay, too. To me, that\u2019s a win as well,\u201d Joseph said.<\/p>\n
As predicted, the unbeaten Disco Time set the early pace of the 2026 Pegasus World Cup. Winning jockey Tyler Gaffalione tactically held Skippy Longstocking back, dropping to eighth position early and carefully navigating the turn.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Irad Ortiz Jr. pushed White Avario wide coming into the final bend, overtaking all but one horse and taking the lead entering the stretch. At that moment, Gaffalione shifted Skippy\u2019s path to chase down White Avario, signaling the horse to make his move.<\/p>\n
Skippy Longstocking responded with a strong surge, powering through to win by 1 1\/4 lengths over White Avario, finishing the 1 1\/8 mile race on the fast main track in 1:48.49. Skippy paid out $45.20 for the win.<\/p>\n
\u201cSaffie told me to ride with confidence, be patient, and trust Skippy\u2019s ability, and that support gave me strength all race long,\u201d Gaffalione said. \u201cThe race unfolded perfectly. I found a good inside spot and he steadily gained ground. At the turn, I had to split another horse, but once I did, Skippy took a deep breath and surged forward. I\u2019m thrilled for the team and proud of the horse\u2014he absolutely deserved this Grade 1 victory.\u201d<\/p>\n
This marked Skippy Longstocking\u2019s first Grade 1 win, boosting his career tally to 13 wins in 36 starts and earnings exceeding $5.4 million. He is a progeny of Exaggerator, with yearlings sold for $37,000 at the 2021 OBS April Sale.<\/p>\n
The full finishing order for the Pegasus World Cup was: Skippy Longstocking, White Avario, Full Serrano (ARG), Captain Cook, British Isles, Vanishing, Lightning Tones, Disco Time, Mika, Poster, Brotha Kenny, and Tappan Street.<\/p>\n
Irad Ortiz Jr., the jockey for White Avario, expressed his deep admiration for the horse. \u201cHe has a huge heart. I trust both him and Saffy. After such a long layoff, coming back to race eight furlongs against tough competition isn\u2019t easy. What he did today was incredible. I\u2019m very proud of him. He\u2019s been a true fighter over the years, and I hate to see him lose.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2014
\nFan Take: This thrilling Pegasus World Cup highlighted the resilience and heart of two outstanding horses, reminding fans why horse racing captures our imagination. With veterans like Skippy Longstocking and White Avario continuing to compete at the highest level, the sport\u2019s excitement and unpredictability remain alive and well, promising exciting moments for years to come.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It’s rare to see a victorious trainer leave the winner\u2019s circle only to rush back down the track after a major race, but Safi Joseph Jr. did just that following Skippy Longstocking\u2019s triumph in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup at Gulfstream Park on Saturday. Amidst flashing cameras, cheering fans, and celebrating owners, Joseph took […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2443],"tags":[2955],"class_list":{"0":"post-38822","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fighting","8":"tag-horse-racing"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38822\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38823"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportsdaily.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}