Todd Pletcher

We edge inside the two-month mark to the GI Kentucky Derby with a well-bunched Top 12 hurtling toward more lucrative qualifying points races at longer distances. 1) PALADIN (c, Gun Runner--Secret Sigh, by Tapit) O-Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Peter M. Brant, Brook T. Smith, and Summer Wind Equine, LLC; B-Summer Wind Equine LLC (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. Sales history: $1,900,000 Ylg '24 FTSAUG. Lifetime record: MGSW, 3-3-0-0, $848,250. Last start: WON Feb. 14 GII Risen Star Stakes. The 3-for-3 Paladin has racked up two wins in nine-furlong...

HOT SPRINGS, Ark.--A strong tradition for any Kentucky Derby hopeful along the campaign trail to May is passing the two turn test. With distance in mind, owners and trainers are looking for their nominees to stretch their legs, embrace the debate that comes in the form of traffic and find ways to grind out a hard-earned victory. At Oaklawn Park in the GII Rebel Stakes on Sunday, WinStar, First Go Racing and CHC Inc. owned colt Class President (Uncle Mo--Top Quality, by Quality Road) proved best at the wire as...

Calumet Farm homebred She Be Smooth (Lexitonian) raced well out of the range of the cameraman for the opening 5 1/2 furlongs of Saturday's GII Davona Dale Stakes, but she entered the picture in an instant and finished full of run to become the first graded winner for her sire (by Speightstown) while picking up 50 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. Allowed to jump at juicy odds of 28-5 off an impressive debut over the Davona Dale course and distance Jan. 23 that came at the expense...

2nd-GP, $84K, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 12:01 p.m. ET. Al Loud (Quality Road), a $650,000 OBS April purchase by Tagermeen Racing, gets his career started for Todd Pletcher. Produced by GSW & GISP Genre (Bernardini), Al Loud previously brought $410,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. The Quality Road x Bernardini cross is also responsible for 2022 G1 Saudi Cup winner Emblem Road and 2019 GI Alabama S. heroine and narrow 2021 GI Breeders' Cup Distaff runner-up Dunbar Road. Gilded Bandit (Charlatan), drawn widest of all in post 11 for this unveiling,...

TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack provides analysis for this weekend's trio of GI Kentucky Derby preps--Saturday's GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. at Gulfstream Park and GIII Gotham S. at Aqueduct and Sunday's GII Rebel S. at Oaklawn Park. GII Coolmore Fountain of Youth S. - Commandment (Into Mischief) is a deserving favorite and the horse to beat in this absolutely loaded renewal of the Coolmore Fountain of Youth. He kicked off the New Year in style, splitting horses at the top of the stretch en route to a...

Since the inception of HISA, the diuretic Lasix (also known as furosemide) has been banned in all 2-year-old races and in stakes races. But that may be about to change. On May 22, HISA's nine-member Board of Directors will take a vote on whether or not the medication should be banned in all races. On that date, unless the board votes unanimously to continue the status quo, the medication will be banned. The board could also make any number of recommendations for modifications to the current provisions. To the extent...

Only Todd Pletcher could lose the prohibitive early favorite for the GI Kentucky Derby and the 2-year-old champion in Ted Noffey (Into Mischief) and still be stocked with talented horses that are on the road to the first leg of the Triple Crown. Pletcher has GIII Holy Bull Stakes winner Nearly, Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Renegade (Into Mischief) and recent allowance winner Jackson Hole (Nyquist), who will be among the favorites for Saturday's GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park. To discuss his plethora of talented colts, their...

Trainer Todd Pletcher had a lot to discuss on this week's TDN Writers' Room. This weekend on the Kentucky Derby trail, he'll send Jackson Hole to the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes and Class President to the GII Rebel Stakes, plus he has two fillies in the GII Davona Dale Stakes.

There was only one graded stakes race on the road to the GI Kentucky Oaks this weekend, but it was a big one. The GII Fasig-Tipton Rachel Alexandra Stakes has produced 12 winners of the Oaks. The list includes last year's Oaks champion Good Cheer (Medaglia d'Oro) and 2023 winner Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief). So, it meant something when Bella Ballerina (Street Sense) scored a game victory to win the race by a half-length, especially when you consider that she is a half-sister to Pretty Mischievous. So, here goes, your...

GRANDE (c, 4, Curlin--Journey Home {GSW, $225,997}, by War Front), unraced since a runner-up finish in last year's GII Wood Memorial in April and since the subject of a controversial day-before scratch in the GI Kentucky Derby, returned to the races Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole. Tabbed the 7-5 favorite racing with the addition of blinkers, Grande would have to deal with fellow comebacker Praetor (Into Mischief), himself unraced since a third in April's GIII Lexington Stakes for Chad Brown. Both drawn outside, the favorite opted...

A pair of runners trained by Todd Pletcher are being targeted for Gulfstream Park's marquee races for 3-year-olds this winter. WinStar Farm LLC, CHC Inc. and First Go Racing LLC's undefeated Jackson Hole (Nyquist) is on track for a start in the GII Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Feb. 28, while Centennial Farms' Nearly (Not This Time) will make his next start in the GI Curlin Florida Derby on Mar. 28. "He's doing very well. He's scheduled to breeze [Friday], and we're pointing for the Fountain of Youth," Pletcher...

It's been three weeks since our last GI Kentucky Oaks Top 10, and a lot has happened. But no one stepped up with the type of explosive performance that would have shaken up the standings. We've dropped four horses from our original poll. Mythical (St. Patrick's Day) just wasn't good enough in the GIII Forward Gal Stakes. Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) has been injured and has been taken off the Oaks trail. Percy's Bar (Upstart) hasn't had a workout since Jan. 6, which doesn't bode well for her making the...