Todd Trio Try to Bounce Back in Fayette

Trainer Todd Pletcher’s three entrants in Keeneland’s GII Hagyard Fayette S. would have at one point in the year looked like major contenders for Saturday’s GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, but each will instead attempt to return to their best form Friday. Protonico (Giant’s Causeway) aired by five lengths in April’s GIII Ben Ali S. over track and trip, and narrowly bested subsequent GI Stephen Foster H. winner Noble Bird (Birdstone) in Churchill’s GII Alysheba S. in May. Scratched at the gate of the GII Monmouth Cup S. Aug. 2 after a poor warm-up, the dark bay failed to land a blow when last behind stablemate and GI Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile favorite Liam’s Map (Unbridled’s Song) in Saratoga’s GI Woodward S. Sept. 5. Commissioner (A.P. Indy), last year’s narrow GI Belmont S. runner-up, earned a 109 Beyer Speed Figure for a close victory in Gulfstream’s GII Skip Away S. Mar. 28. He added the GIII Pimlico Special S. May 15, but was a distant sixth in the June 13 Foster. Race Day (Tapit) recorded four straight triple digit Beyers culminating in a resounding victory in the GII Oaklawn H. Apr. 11 after owner Matt Schera purchased him for $285,000 at Keeneland November last year and turned him over to Pletcher. Sixth at odds-on in Monmouth’s GIII Salvator Mile S. July 5, Race Day was most recently ninth cutting back to seven panels for Saratoga’s GI Forego S. Aug. 29. Among those not trained by Pletcher is the Bob Baffert-conditioned Hoppertunity (Any Given Saturday). The $1.4-million earner, who beat Protonico and the Pletcher-trained Constitution (Tapit) in last November’s GI Clark H., has not found the winner’s circle in six trips to the post since annexing Santa Anita’s GII San Pasqual S. in January. He was beaten just a nose for the win in the June 27 GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita, however, and was a distant second to Classic sleeper Smooth Roller (Hard Spun) in Santa Anita’s GI Awesome Again S. Sept. 26.