Busy Morning for Pletcher

Todd Pletcher had a busy morning Saturday, as all four of his contenders for the May 2 GI Kentucky Derby worked in two different states–the leading conditioner made sure to catch all of them. Pletcher began his morning at Palm Beach Downs in Florida, where Alto Racing’s GI Florida Derby-winning ‘TDN Rising Star’ Materiality (Afleet Alex) drilled in company with Stonestreet Stables and the Coolmore partners’s GII Louisiana Derby runner-up Stanford (Malibu Moon). The pair covered five furlongs in 1:00.45. 

“Materiality worked very well with Stanford,” Pletcher offered. “It was his second work since the Florida Derby and he got a solid five-eighths. He bounced out of the Florida Derby really well.” 

Starlight Racing’s Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid), winner-via-DQ of the GII Fountain of Youth S. and fourth in the Florida Derby, covered four furlongs in :48 flat alongside undefeated Grade I-winning ‘Rising Star’ Competitive Edge (Super Saver), who will contest the GIII Pat Day Mile on the Derby undercard. 

After overseeing his Palm Beach workers, Pletcher hopped on a chartered flight and headed to Keeneland to watch his top Derby hope Carpe Diem (Giant’s Causeway) work four panels in :48 flat (5/76). The $1.6-million OBSMAR grad and‘Rising Star’ was last seen annexing the GI Blue Grass S. for WinStar Farm and Stonestreet. He was ridden in the drill by regular pilot John Velazquez, and was clocked in splits of :12, :24 and :36 with a five-furlong gallop out in 1:00.40 and double gallop out in 1:13.80. 

“I got him in :48 flat,” Pletcher confirmed. “He galloped out almost to the half-mile pole and Johnny had a hard time pulling him up, which is a good sign. He is a fit horse.” 

Pletcher said he had never before viewed works in two states on the same morning. 

“Logistically, everything fell into place,” he said. “You prefer to work on a fast track and with the good chance of rain coming in here [Sunday], Keeneland went out of their way to accommodate us and we appreciate that a lot… We needed the sun to come up at Palm Beach Downs, and my first horses worked at 6:25. I was able to fly on [Stonestreet owner] Barbara Banke’s plane and Keeneland let us work later so that I could get here and Johnny would have time to work the horse before catching a plane to Charles Town.” 

Pletcher said Carpe Diem will likely have his final work for the Derby in Lexington. Velazquez, who has also ridden Materiality in all three of his career starts, hasn’t committed to a Derby mount. 

“I will talk with Johnny on Monday,” Pletcher said. “Ultimately, it is Johnny’s decision. Those are two very good horses, and he is four-for-five on one and three-for-three on the other.”