Skippylongstocking has not traveled to California and was scratched from the Santa Anita Handicap
- Turf Diario
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
An incident on the plane thwarted his excursion, a curious occurrence for a horse with such extensive experience
HALLANDALE BEACH, Florida (Special for Turf Diario).— An unexpected logistical complication has sidelined one of the major protagonists of the early season in the United States. Skippylongstocking, the recent winner of the Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1), was scratched from the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) following an incident that occurred while attempting to travel from Florida to California.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. explained that the horse began to grow restless while the plane was taxiing for takeoff and ended up kicking inside the transport, forcing the flight to be aborted. Given the situation, the team decided not to proceed with the transfer.
"We could have tranquilized him, but with the medication regulations, I didn't want to risk doing so just four days before the race," Joseph noted. "He had never done anything like this. I don't know if it was something circumstantial or if it indicates a problem."
After deplaning, the horse was examined and, according to images sent to the trainer, was in good physical condition. Nevertheless, the decision was made to return to the Palm Meadows training center, where he will resume his routine in the coming days while future steps are evaluated.
The absence is particularly significant because Skippylongstocking was arriving as one of the primary contenders for the traditional Big ‘Cap at Santa Anita Park, where he likely would have gone off as the favorite.
The 7-year-old veteran is currently in the best form of his career. In his 2026 debut, he achieved the greatest victory of his life by winning the Pegasus World Cup over 1,800 meters at Gulfstream Park, defeating stablemate White Abarrio (Race Day) by 1 3/4 lengths. That victory represented his first G1 success and pushed his earnings to US$ 5.46 million, with 13 wins in 36 starts.
Now, the bay will look to get his campaign back on track. Among the alternatives mentioned by Joseph are the Ghostzapper Stakes (G3) on March 28 at Gulfstream or the Oaklawn Park Handicap (G2) on April 18 at Oaklawn Park.
"We are going to observe him; he will return to training in a few days and then we will decide," explained the trainer, who is currently in Barbados for the Barbados Gold Cup.
An unexpected turn for one of the most consistent horses on the American circuit, who must now wait to attempt adding another major chapter to his career.
