Skippylongstocking Prevails In Grade II Hollywood Gold Cup, Completes Graded Stakes Double For Joseph, Jr. And Ortiz Monday At Santa Anita

SKIPPYLONGSTOCKING PREVAILS IN GRADE II HOLLYWOOD GOLD CUP, COMPLETES GRADED STAKES DOUBLE FOR JOSEPH, JR. AND ORTIZ MONDAY AT SANTA ANITA

ARCADIA, CA (May 26, 2025)— About 30 minutes after taking down the GI Gamely with Be Your Best, jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. and trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. made it a graded-stakes double when Skippylongstocking scored at odds-on in the Grade II, $200,000 Hollywood Gold Cup going 1 ¼ miles Monday at Santa Anita.

Skippylongstocking, who is based with Joseph, Jr. in South Florida, was making his second start at Santa Anita. In 2023, the 6-year-old horse by Exagerrator finished third in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at The Great Race Place.

Bet down to 4-5 favoritism, Skippylongstocking settled just a couple length behind pacesetter Packs a Wahlop (10-1) with Midnight Mammoth (12-1) splitting that pair in second. Packs a Wahlop, who was switching from turf, would set fractions of 22.55, 46.33 and 1:10.87 for six furlongs before weakening on the second turn. Midnight Mammoth and jockey Armando Ayuso inherited the lead and posted a one-mile spit of 1:35.51.

By that point, Skippylongstocking had already launched his rally racing widest of all. Skippylongstocking passed Midnight Mammoth at the top of the stretch and looked poised to draw away, but that would not be the case. Midnight Mammoth gamely battled Skippylongstocking down the stretch but would come up three-quarters of a length short. It was another six lengths back to third-place finisher Extensive, the 9-5 second choice.

“It was amazing to get that Grade I, then you don’t want to go home with Skippy getting beat,” Joseph, Jr. said by phone. “So for him to go out there and win a historic race like the Hollywood Gold Cup was truly special.”

Skippylongstocking won in a time of 2:01.64 to push his career earnings to $3,661,610 for owner Daniel Alonso.

“He relaxed for me beautifully,” Ortiz said. “We were planning to stay back and not be on the lead. I was happy where he was and he went on from there. The horse on the inside (Midnight Mammoth) was fighting back and my horse was fighting back as well.”

Runner-up Midnight Mammoth is trained by Craig Dollase and owned by Jeffrey Sengara. Dollase was thrilled with the performance from the 6-year-old gelding.

“This horse has overcome a lot, and this was like a win for us,” Dollase said. For Skippylongstocking, the win was his eighth graded stakes victory at six different tracks in four-plus seasons of racing. It pushed his overall record to 32: 11-3-7.

“He’s just a hard knocking horse who takes his track with him everywhere he goes,” Joseph, Jr. said. “He’s a sound horse and he’s very strong mentally. We’ll be forever grateful for him.”

Skippylongstocking paid $3.60, $2.60 and $2.10. Midnight Mammoth returned $7.20 and $3.60. Extensive, with Flavien Prat aboard for trainer Michael McCarthy, paid $2.40.