Joseph Seeks Continued Success Closer to Home Saturday

Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., who enjoyed a career day Monday in Southern California, will seek continued success closer to home Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where he will be represented by a pair of horses in each of Saturday’s featured stakes.

Gulfstream’s leading trainer entered C2 Racing Stable LLC, Kuhne Racing and Mark Corrado’s Andrea and Steven Friedfertig and Shining Stable’s Luvumorgan in the $75,000 Game Face, as well as Gentry Farms’ Candy Gray and Golden Kernal Racing Stable’s Lady Cha Cha in the $75,000 Powder Break.

Be Your Best, who captured the Gamely (G1), and Skippylongstocking, who won the Hollywood Gold Cup (G2), provided Joseph his first winners in Southern California back-to-back on Santa Anita’s Memorial Day program. While they were regarded as top contenders in their respective stakes starts, Joseph’s four runners Saturday will need to step up to find the Gulfstream winner’s circle.

Andrea is scheduled to make her second start off a three-month freshening in the Game Face, a 6 ½-furlong sprint for 3-year-old fillies. The daughter of Thousand Words took a break from stakes company to score a convincing nine-length victory in a seven-furlong optional claiming allowance at Tampa Bay Downs April 2.

“She started promising and then she went the wrong way. We had to freshen her, and she ran well,” Joseph said. “This will be a little harder, but if she runs her ‘A’ Game, she’ll be competitive.”

Cipriano Gil has the return mount aboard Andrea, who is rated second on the morning line at 2-1 in a seven-filly field.

Luvumorgan, with only two starts to her credit, brings considerably less experience in the Game Face. The daughter of Union Rags graduated in her most recent start with a three-length victory at 1 1/16 miles March 30.

“She ran long. I think distance would be better for her, but this is a stake, and we’d like to get some black type for her,” Joseph said.

Leading rider Edgard Zayas has the call on the homebred filly.