Four wins for Saffie at the weekend

Barbadian trainer Saffier Joseph Jr has been in fine fettle lately. Two of his four latest wins came with two-year-old animals, Grayscale and Rojo Rita, both named Thoroughbred Daily News ‘Rising Stars’ on Tuesday. He produced three weekend wins at his regular stomping grounds, Florida’s Gulfstream Park, and a fourth victory at Churchill Downs.

On Saturday, two-year-old colt Grayscale went off at 3-10, ridden by Drayden Van Dyke. Owned by e Five Racing, he won by 4 1/2 lengths and was never really challenged.

“He had worked very quick,” Joseph said. “He always showed promise. In his first breeze he got beat and he never got beat in a breeze again. He has a lot of talent and has learned quickly. We’re excited to have gotten him started. This is a very promising horse. He’s push button. He will go as fast as you want or as slow as you want. He can gallop as slow as you want and fast as you want when he turns it on. Obviously, his future is very bright.”

On Friday, Kamil Ozhan-owned Rojo Rita won a maiden special weight race by 16 1/4 lengths. With Edgard Zayas aboard, the animal opened up by two lengths down the backstretch before exploding in the stretch to pull away.

“She was training well,” Joseph said. “She worked within herself. We never really let her run in the mornings because she is so quick. You never think you’re going to win first time out by 16 lengths. Sometimes you think you’re going to win first time out and it doesn’t happen. She ran well and she ran beyond our expectations.”

The daughter of freshman sire Volatile hasn’t yet convinced Joseph that she is the type of horse who can make the nine-furlong Kentucky Oaks.

“That’s hard to say,” he said. “She’s by Volatile, so you think speed and sprinting. So I wouldn’t say just yet that she will go long. Going forward she’ll need to show us she can go a distance. She looks more like a sprinter type.”

R Disaster was the third winner for the 37-year-old Joseph at Gulfstream, where he won the trainers’ title earlier this year. A three-year-old filly, R Disaster led all the way in Race 7 for owners  Averill Racing LLC, Two Eight Racing, LLC and ATM Racing, with Edgard Zayas taking the reins.

Meanwhile, the Claiming Crown returned to Churchill Downs in Kentucky for just the second time in the event’s 26-year history. Concrete Glory won the Ready’s Rocket Express by the day’s largest margin. The pacesetter beneath Luis Saez, he drew off to win by 7 1/2 lengths while completing six furlongs in 1:09.30.

Concrete Glory is owned by Big Frank Stable. Formerly run by Frank Rupolo, he gifted the stable to his daughter, Nikki, for her 18th birthday.

(TF)