For the second time in two weeks, trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. aims to win a grade 2 race with a grade 1-caliber field.
Following White Abarrio's April 18 score in the $1.25 million Oaklawn Handicap (G2)—where he defeated Sovereignty and Journalism—Joseph returns to the graded spotlight with Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes (G1) winner Skippylongstocking and the improving Navajo Warrior in the $750,000 Alysheba Stakes (G2) May 1 at Churchill Downs. Awaiting them are top-level stakes winners Baeza, Tappan Street, and East Avenue.
A $5.7 million earner and veteran campaigner for owner Daniel Alonso, Skippylongstocking is riding a three-race win streak. He narrowly prevailed in the Dec. 20 Harlan's Holiday Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, followed that with his defeat of White Abarrio in the Pegasus World Cup there in January and, most recently, delivered a 5 1/4-length victory in the March 21 Essex Handicap (G3) at Oaklawn Park. The 7-year-old son of Exaggerator has since trained in South Florida, where Joseph is based.
"After the Essex, this made sense timing-wise," Joseph said of the Alysheba, and a potential follow-up appearance at Churchill Downs in the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) June 27.
C2 Racing Stable, Gary Barber, La Milagrosa Stable's White Abarrio could also be a candidate for the Stephen Foster, Joseph said. That race is a 1 1/8-mile event scheduled for Godolphin's reigning Horse of the Year Sovereignty, trained by Bill Mott.
Skippylongstocking, with Tyler Gaffalione named to ride, is 7-2 on the morning-line for the 1 1/16-mile Alysheba, trailing the 5-2 favorite Baeza, one of last year's leading 3-year-olds.
Former claimer Navajo Warrior, a recent second-level allowance optional claiming winner for a partnership headed by BAG Racing Stables, Miller Racing, and others, is a 20-1 outsider under Francisco Arrieta.
Baeza, third last year in the Kentucky Derby (G1) in his only race at Churchill Downs, competes for the first time in 2026 in Friday's race, making his initial start for Mott. Baeza joined Mott's stable this year following the death of his former trainer, newly elected Hall of Fame trainer John Shirreffs.
The 4-year-old son of McKinzie is unraced since finishing sixth in the Nov. 1 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Del Mar, a race that followed a breakthrough triumph in the Pennsylvania Derby (G1) at Parx Racing.
Mott gives the mount to Sovereignty's regular rider, Junior Alvarado.
Another 4-year-old, 2025 Florida Derby (G1) winner Tappan Street, attempts to rebound for trainer Brad Cox after a disappointing 12th in the Pegasus.
East Avenue, who took the 2024 Breeders' Futurity Stakes (G1) at Keeneland and was a nose runner-up in the Blue Grass Stakes (G1) there last year, starts for the second time this year after a runner-up finish to fellow Alysheba competitor Nu What's New in the March 28 Oaklawn Mile Stakes (G3).
The Alysheba's nine-horse field could be reduced by post time. Challenger Stakes (G3) winner Disruptor is cross-entered in the $1 million Churchill Downs Stakes (G1) over 7 furlongs on Kentucky Derby Day, and could instead race there.
A race decision may not be made until Wednesday, trainer Todd Pletcher said. If Disruptor runs in the Alysheba, that could reroute Pletcher's other entrant, Grande, to the May 15 Pimlico Special Stakes (G3) at Laurel Park, the Hall of Fame trainer said.
Corporate Power, runner-up in a swiftly run New Orleans Classic Stakes (G2) last time out, completes the field.
Churchill Downs, Friday, May 1, 2026, Race 9Entries: Alysheba S. presented by U.S. Army (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Navajo Warrior (KY) Francisco Arrieta 118 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 20/1 2 2Baeza (KY) Junior Alvarado 123 William I. Mott 5/2 3 3Grande (KY) John R. Velazquez 120 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 4 4Tappan Street (KY) Flavien Prat 118 Brad H. Cox 4/1 5 5East Avenue (KY) Cristian A. Torres 118 Brendan P. Walsh 12/1 6 6Nu What's New (KY) Luis Saez 120 James P. DiVito 8/1 7 7Skippylongstocking (KY) Tyler Gaffalione 123 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 7/2 8 8Corporate Power (KY) Jose L. Ortiz 118 Steven M. Asmussen 10/1 9 9Disruptor (KY) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 120 Todd A. Pletcher 6/1
