Daniel Alonso’s multiple graded stakes-winner Skippylongstocking looks for his next big score in Saturday’s Grade 2, $400,000 Woodward, a nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds and up, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., the 5-year-old Exaggerator bay enters from a successful title defense in the nine-furlong Charles Town Classic (G2) on August 23 at its namesake track. There, Skippylongstocking led by one length at each call before drawing off to win by 5 3/4 lengths.

The impressive performance was awarded a 106 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form, one point shy of his career-best 107 earned for a two-length victory in the nine-furlong Oaklawn Handicap (G2) in April.

“At this stage right now, I think he is probably doing his best. It is hard to believe he’s getting better, but that is what he’s continued to do and I feel like he is coming into the Woodward the right way,” said Joseph, Jr. “I feel like we’re in tip-top shape and I’m very optimistic that he’s going there in as good of form as he’s ever been.”

Skippylongstocking previously finished fifth in the nine-furlong Whitney (G1) on August 3 at Saratoga, where he stalked the victorious Arthur’s Ride after being bumped at the start and weakened in the final eighth of the muddy and sealed test. Prior to that, Skippylongstocking was third at the same distance in the Stephen Foster (G1) on June 29 at Churchill Downs.

“In the Whitney, he was chasing Arthur’s Ride the whole way around, which kind of took a toll as far as getting a placing. We gave him a little break after the Stephen Foster, and we weren’t really sure about going to the Whitney, but the ownership wanted to give Saratoga one try,” Joseph, Jr. said. “I felt like, if anything, I did not have the horse at his optimum best going into that race, I’ll take the blame instead of the horse.”

Skippylongstocking has earned in excess of $2.9 million through a lifetime record of 26: 9-2-5, including seven graded victories. He has also placed at the top flight in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile and the 2022 Belmont Stakes.

Bred in Kentucky by Brushy Hill, Skippylongstocking, out of the War Chant mare Twinkling, is a half-brother to graded stakes-placed Olivia Twist and Moonlite Strike.

Manny Franco will look to engineer a winning trip from post 1, carrying 124 pounds.

Crupi (post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds) closed from 12 lengths back in last of 10 to finish second in the Whitney.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables, the 4-year-old Curlin chestnut rallied from last to win the Suburban (G2) in June at the Spa, similar to late-running placings this year when third in the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) in January at Gulfstream Park and second in the Brooklyn (G2) at Aqueduct.

Crupi earned a career-best 106 Beyer for the Whitney second, and continued a strong run of form after breaking his maiden last July. Since the eighth-out graduation, Crupi holds a 9: 4-2-1 record, adding a pair of local stakes in the Queens County and Discovery in November and December, both over the Woodward course and distance.

“I thought he ran really well in the Whitney and was a good second. He seems like he’s improved this year, as we thought he would. He’s always run well here at Aqueduct and hopefully he does that again,” said Pletcher. “I think he’s getting into the race a little better and has had more experience.

“He’s improved physically and has gotten stronger. He’s learned and he’s one of those that we always felt like there was talent there – it just took a little while for him to put it all together,” Pletcher added.

Out of the winning Malibu Moon mare Don’tforgetaboutme, Crupi was a $275,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Pletcher will also send out Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable’s Grade 1-winner Tapit Trice (post 3, Dylan Davis, 124 pounds), who enters from a fourth in the 1 1/4-mile Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on September 1 at Saratoga. There, the 4-year-old Tapit gray was a popular betting alternative to the favored Arthur’s Ride, but didn’t make up much ground from his stalking position.

Tapit Trice made a successful seasonal debut in the 1 1/8-mile Monmouth Cup (G3) at its namesake oval. The 5 1/4-length win came off a layoff dating to a third in the Travers (G1) last August at the Spa in his first start with blinkers. Last year, Tapit Trice won the Blue Grass (G1) at Keeneland and also was third in the Belmont.

“He ran great in the Monmouth Cup and ran steadily in the Jockey Club, so hopefully he can run back to his best,” Pletcher said.

Bred in Kentucky by co-owner Gainesway, Tapit Trice, a $1.3 million 2021 Keeneland September yearling purchase, is out of the multiple graded stakes-placed mare Danzatrice.

Chile Triple Crown-winner Kay Army (post 5, Junior Alvarado, 126 pounds), who was a 10-for-10 powerhouse with nine of those scores on turf in his native Chile, is set to make his U.S. debut for Hall of Famer Bill Mott and owners Ignacio Hurtado and Ignacio Hurtado, Jr.

Kay Army won five Group 1 races last year, including the first two legs of the Chile Triple Crown in the El Ensayo in October at Club Hipico De Santiago and the St. Leger (on dirt) at Hipodromo Chile.

The 4-year-old son of Katmai, trained by Juan Pablo Baeza Jarpa and piloted by Oscar Ulloa Perez, was set to line up for Triple Crown glory in February but would have to wait one month to complete the feat when forest fires forced Valparaiso Sporting Club to postpone El Derby (G1).

However, there would be no stopping Kay Army in the 1 1/2-mile turf test as the talented chestnut rallied into contention once straightened away and drew off to best his previously undefeated stablemate Wentrue by 6 1/4-lengths. In May, the eighth-place finisher of that event, Frateli La Vita, captured the 1 1/4-mile Gran Premio Club Hipico Falabella (G1) at Club Hipico de Santiago to earn a berth to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Del Mar.

Kay Army has breezed extensively over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga in preparation for his stateside debut, including a five-eighths breeze in 1:02.45 on September 15.

Rounding out the field is John Holleman’s Grade 3 winner Masqueparade (post 4, Kendrick Carmouche, 122 pounds), who will cut back in distance from a second in the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone in August at the Spa. Trained by Rob Atras, the 6-year-old Upstart gelding was defeated 22 1/4-lengths by dominant marathoner Next, also the winner of the Brooklyn (G2) in their prior outing where Masqueparade landed fourth.

“We took one run at him (Next) on the turn and he (Manny Franco) realized we weren’t getting it and didn’t beat him up because it was over for second. He came out of the race good,” said Atras of the Birdstone effort. “It’s going to be a tough race, but I like him at the mile and an eighth. It’s a good distance for him.”

Before the recent marathon attempts, Masqueparade was a three-quarter-length third in the Suburban won by Crupi. The biggest win of Masqueparade’s career came at nine furlongs in the Ohio Derby (G3) in June 2021 for trainer Al Stall, Jr.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
1		Skippylongstocking Exaggerator	7.50	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. Jose L. Ortiz	1st, 2024 Charles Town Classic G2 2024 Woodward G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		1st, 2024 Charles Town Classic G2 2024 Woodward G2
2		Crupi Curlin	7.17	Todd A. Pletcher Irad Ortiz, Jr.	2nd, 2024 Whitney G1 2024 Woodward G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		2nd, 2024 Whitney G1 2024 Woodward G2
3		Tapit Trice Tapit	7.56	Todd A. Pletcher Dylan Davis	4th, 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup G1 2024 Woodward G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		4th, 2024 Jockey Club Gold Cup G1 2024 Woodward G2
4		Masqueparade Upstart	5.91	Rob Atras Kendrick Carmouche	2nd, 2024 Birdstone LS 2024 Woodward G2	Entered
Last Race Next Race		2nd, 2024 Birdstone LS 2024 Woodward G2
5		Kay Army Katmai	0.00	William I. Mott Junior Alvarado	2024 Woodward G2	Entered
Next Race		2024 Woodward G2