Four Pack for Pletcher in Woodward

Speedy ‘TDN Rising Star’ Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song) is one of four Todd Pletcher trainees signed on for Saturday’s GI Woodward S. at Saratoga. The Teresa Viola Racing Stables colorbearer scored three times last year as a sophomore, capped by a win in Gulfstream’s Harlan’s Holiday S. in December over recent GIII Philip Iselin S. winner Valid (Medaglia d’Oro). He had little trouble annexing a salty optional claimer at Belmont on seasonal debut June 19, and nearly ran away with the $1.25-million GI Whitney S. over track and trip Aug. 8, only to succumb to fellow ‘Rising Star’ Honor Code (A.P. Indy) by a neck.

“I thought he ran a huge race [in the Whitney],” said Pletcher, whose two wins here came in with Lawyer Ron in 2007 and with Quality Road in 2010. “It was very disappointing not to win, to run as well as he did. He got beat by a very good horse and I think he earned as much respect as you can earn without winning a race. We prefer to win but we’re proud of the horse’s effort all the same.”

The grey’s only return competition from the Whitney is fourth-place finisher Wicked Strong (Hard Spun), but Liam’s Map figures to take heat from Sheikh Mohammed homebred Bay of Plenty (Medaglia d’Oro), who took the local Alydar S. in front-running fashion here Aug. 9. “I wouldn’t go so far as to say he’s one-dimensional, but I think his strength is his high-cruising speed and his ability to carry it over a distance of ground,” Pletcher said. “We’re not going to look to alter that; we’ll let him run his race.”

Pletcher also saddles Repole Stable colorbearer Coach Inge (Big Brown), who beat last year’s GI Travers S. winner V. E. Day (English Channel) in the 1 1/2-mile GII Brooklyn S. two back June 6. He set a very pressured pace last time in the 10-panel GII Suburban H. July 4, and did well to be third, only 1 1/2 lengths behind Effinex (Mineshaft). “I’ve been very pleased with the way he’s trained,” said Pletcher of Coach Inge. “We kind of kicked around the idea of running in the Whitney or maybe the [GI] Pacific Classic, but decided to stay home and run him here.” GIII Ben Ali S. and GII Alysheba S. winner Protonico (Giant’s Causeway) and Classic-placed Alydar runner-up Mylute (Midnight Lute) round out Pletcher’s foursome.

Jimmy Jerkens’s father, the late, great H. Allen Jerkens, upset Secretariat with Prove Out in the 1973 running of this race, but the younger Jerkens seeks his first Woodward trophy. Wicked Strong, last year’s GI Wood Memorial S. winner and track-and-trip GII Jim Dandy S. hero, was second by a nose to his aforementioned stablemate in last year’s Travers. He has had a somewhat rough go of it since then, however, and seeks the end a six-race winless drought.

New York-bred Effinex picked up the slack for the Jerkens stable in the GIII Excelsior S. when Wicked Strong could only manage third at odds on. He failed to finish the Brooklyn after getting out badly on both turns, but bounced back from that debacle to out-head MGISW Tonalist (Tapit) in the Suburban.