Todd Pletcher spent a rare racing day at Saratoga Race Course without a runner Wednesday, catching up on work, phone calls, texts, emails and other business from his Oklahoma Training Track barn’s office.
The 13-time Saratoga training champion doesn’t do that often.
The high-powered stable might miss a day here and there and it’s even more rare to miss consecutive racing days without a runner at the country’s premier meet – you’ll need to go back to the 2013 meet to find that.
Pletcher returned to action Thursday after an even more unique stretch.
“With the cancellation Saturday, racing Sunday, no races Monday, Tuesday and we don’t have anything in Wednesday, I don’t remember the last time I had four out of five days without a runner at Saratoga,” Pletcher said. “It’s got to be a long time. Maybe back to 1996, my first year here.”
The point of all this drives home the fact that Pletcher stays busy, runners or not, and he’s been just as active a quarter of the way through the meet with 29 starters through Friday.
The first winner came July 14, with the American Pharoah filly Sweet Melania, and Pletcher doubled up July 19 with Bourbon Mission and Pillar Mountain.
A lot more ammunition is ready in the main string on the Oklahoma and in overflow stalls at the harness track, plus from divisions at Belmont Park and Monmouth Park. Pletcher sat down with The Special’s Tom Law and Ben Gowans to talk about some of the runners from Saratoga and Belmont on that rare day off from the races. Maggie Sweet, Pletcher’s chief operating officer, came in just after the tour started. She’d been on hand for prior meetings, but seemed surprised it was held inside.
“So you’re not actually walking down the shedrow?” she asked. “I thought you went from stall-to-stall, talk about all the horses, blah, blah, blah.”
“No, that’s a fake part of their process,” Pletcher said. “It’s fake news.”
Nah, it’s true news for some trainers. It all depends. Pletcher took us on a tour without leaving the office, but that’s OK. It was still fascinating.
Eagerly: Michael Tabor’s homebred son of American Pharoah out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Excited landed on also-eligible list in today’s seventh, a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden for 2-year-olds. “He’s out of a mare we trained who is out of Path Of Thunder, who we also trained. So it’s a family we’re familiar with. Most of her family was better on the turf. I’m not convinced American Pharoah is just a turf stallion but it seems like there’s some turf influence from the mare and it’s an option for sure. We worked him on the turf, thought he worked pretty decent. I’m not convinced he’s the type of horse that can go over there and win first time out on the grass but we’ll see.”
Intrepid Heart: Robert and Lawana Low’s Tapit colt finished eighth in the Belmont Stakes and fifth in Friday’s Curlin. “We’re looking to get back on track. … We’re trying to see where he fits in the program.”
Vino Rosso: Last year’s Wood Memorial winner won the Grade 1 Gold Cup at Santa Anita last time and heads next to the Grade 1 Whitney Aug. 3. Owned by Repole Stable and Vinny Viola’s St. Elias Stable, 4-year-old son of Curlin stayed wide in the Gold Cup under John Velazquez and won by three-quarters of a length over Gift Box. “He’s training super and we need him to come back with another big performance. Normally in California you wouldn’t want to be parked three or four wide all the way around there but for him it worked out OK. The one thing I will say, as a 4-year-old he’s more mature, more focused and a little less picky about where he’s placed. Johnny will be able to ride him the way he wants to in the Whitney, if that means letting him ease off of it a little bit, take some cover, that’s an option. He’s a little more zeroed in as a 4-year-old.”
Bulletin: Winner of Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint last year and the Palisades Turf Sprint at Keeneland in April hasn’t run since fourth in William Walker at Churchill Downs April 27. “We’re getting back on track. He had a couple minor setbacks. We’re probably going to stretch him out, try to get a mile. Just trying to get him ready. We haven’t ruled out the Secretariat. It’s going to depend on how his next two works go.”
Social Paranoia: The Elkstone Group spent $75,000 for Street Boss colt at 2017 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July yearling sale. He’s 1-for-9 but on the board in his other starts, including a second last time in Grade 1 Belmont Derby. Next up is the $1 million Saratoga Derby Aug. 4. “He ran big last time, second best on the day. He’s been a very consistent horse, shows up and runs hard every time. He’s run well everywhere.”
Channel Cat: Calumet Farm’s homebred goes in today’s Grade 2 Bowling Green. Third last time in the Grade 1 United Nations and winner of Laurel Park’s Bald Eagle Derby last September, 4-year-old son of English Channel is 4-for-15 with $600,792. “He’s a cool horse. One that we always thought would improve as he got older. Like a lot of the English Channels do. His best is yet to come, doesn’t mind soft ground. He caught bottomless ground at Laurel. It reminded me of English Channel at Monmouth, similar conditions. We’ll see how this goes and decide if he’s going to the Sword Dancer or not.”
Prince Lucky: Daniel McConnell’s homebred Corinthian gelding won the State Dinner July 4 at Belmont. He’s 7-for-13 with $533,970 in earnings. “He’s still at Belmont, ran well in the State Dinner. I’m not sure what we’re going to do next. We’re going to see how the Whitney unfolds. I want to stretch him out to two turns, try a mile and an eighth at one point so the Woodward would be in play.”
Fort McHenry: Recently named 2-year-old Tapit colt is half brother to Horse of the Year and dual classic winner California Chrome. Coolmore spent $1.1 million to buy the colt as a yearling and he’s breezed 10 times since arriving in Saratoga this spring. “Got his name, it made Twitter. He’s a Twitter star. A typical Tapit, already has blinkers on, lacks a little focus at times and I’m sure he’s going to want to stretch out a little longer. Hopefully will make a start at the meet, not sure when yet.”
Crupi: St. Elias and Repole bought Candy Ride colt as a yearling for $700,000 and named him for the late Jim Crupi, who played key role in success of many of their stars including Uncle Mo, Saint Liam, Always Dreaming, Stay Thirsty and others. “Hopefully also make a race at the meet. Seems like a horse with some talent. Picked out by Jim Crupi for Mike Repole and Vinny Viola. They wanted to name him after Jim and in Jim’s honor. Hopefully he can live up to expectations.”
Threatlovesmidnite: “What? Did you say ‘who?’ That’s the big horse. He was third the other day. Non-two, $16,000, owner, trainer breeder. Todd and J.J. Pletcher. He’s like an ATM machine and (Sweet) keeps making fun of him. The name? Do you watch The Office? There’s an episode called Threat Level Midnight. My dad obviously has never watched The Office. I told his secretary that he was supposed to name him Threat Level Midnight. He sent it in as Threatlovesmidnite, so we left it.”
Kiss The Girl: Three Diamonds Farm spent $210,000 for Into Mischief filly at Fasig-Tipton Midlantic May 2-year-olds in training sale. She won first time out June 12 at Belmont and finished second in Grade 3 Schuylerville Opening Day. “Ran big and was getting there a little too late. Haven’t decided if we are going to wait for the Spinaway or possibly run back in the Adirondack. The spacing of it gives you that possibility.”
Soviet: Two-year-old colt by Super Saver out of Grade 3 winner Ruthenia entered for debut in today’s fourth, a 5 1/2-furlong maiden for 2-year-olds. He’s co-owned by Grandview Equine, Cheyenne Stables and LNJ Foxwoods. “He’s trained well and we’re looking forward to getting him started.”
Irish Front: One of a few Summer Front 2-year-olds in Pletcher’s care, Waterford Stables’ homebred is out of the winning Purge mare Erin Rose. “He might be the best Summer Front. I’m pointing him for Aug. 10. Right now dirt and I think some will cross over on the turf. Next time you see Steve Young ask him what he thinks (about where Summer Front offspring will succeed).”
Sweet Melania: The Lows’ 2-year-old American Pharoah filly graduated in her third start and turf debut the first Sunday of the meet. “The way she trained at Palm Beach Downs I thought she might win first time out. She was quick, good from the gate, kind of disappointed us. She didn’t run poorly, but not as good as we’d hoped her first couple starts. So we tried her on the grass and it seemed to work much better. We’ll point her to the P.G. Johnson.”
Gouverneur Morris: A $600,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream 2-year-old sale, son of Constitution sports three works at Saratoga that include a half in :49.33 on the main track July 20. “He’s not that far along, maybe toward the end of the meet. He looked very good at the Gulfstream sale, trained very well there. Team Valor bought him and WinStar stayed in for a quarter. Constitution is off to a great start.”
Time For Trouble: Repole’s 2-year-old by English Channel finished second in debut going 6 furlongs on the grass July 6 at Belmont. A $170,000 yearling, he’s out of multiple graded stakes-winning Galileo mare Starstruck. “I was pleased with his debut, came running at the end, galloped out strongly. His pedigree says longer the better so hopefully he makes one of the (1 1/16-mile turf) maiden races here.”
En Wye Cee: Waterford’s homebred 3-year-old by Declaration Of War continues on comeback trail. Work tab shows six breezes, including 5 furlongs in company with Whitney-bound Vino Rosso July 19. “He’s going to work again from the gate and is getting pretty close. He was here last summer, had a couple baby issues, took some time off and has come back. He’s training much, much better this time.”
