Todd Pletcher

It was a busy Friday morning at Churchill Downs with 10 GI Kentucky Derby and GI Kentucky Oaks contenders logging their penultimate work prior to the first weekend in May. Half of those workers were from Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's barn--Oaks contenders GII Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up Goddess of Fire (Mineshaft) (five furlongs, 1:00.80); GI Central Bank Ashland S. winner Nest (Curlin) (four furlongs, :49.80); and unbeaten G3 UAE Oaks heroine Shahama (Munnings) (five furlongs, 1:00.80) and Derby contenders GI Curlin Florida Derby runner-up Charge It (Tapit) (five...

Less than 24 hours after 'TDN Rising Star' Shirl's Speight became the newest top-level scorer for WinStar Farm's outstanding Speightstown in Friday's Maker's Mark Mile, the nursery's homebred son Under Oath followed suit with an eye-catching Keeneland maiden victory to become the 22nd 'Rising Star' for the son of Gone West, still going strong at age 24. Third to big-figure graduate Unikee (Unified) in a sloppy six-furlong maiden at Gulfstream Mar. 12 and with no fewer than three next-out winners in his wake, Under Oath jumped as the 6-5 chalk,...

With the GI Ashland S., the GII Santa Anita Oaks and the GIII Gazelle S. topping last week's action, all the preps have been run and the field for the GI Kentucky Oaks is all but set. Who will be the favorite? Who is the filly to beat? In a year where the division is overrun with quality, those aren't easy questions to answer. It should be a heck of a race. 1) SECRET OATH (Arrogate--Absinthe Minded, by Quiet American) O-Briland Farm; B-Briland Farm, Robert & Stacy Mitchell (KY); T-D....

Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency WELL-RELATED DUO DEBUT AT KEENELAND 1st-KEE, $80K, Msw, 2yo, 4 1/2f, 1:00 p.m. Wesley Ward season is upon us with early 2-year-old races being carded at Keeneland and he is represented here by a well-bred colt in ALIBI IKE (Munnings). The chestnut is out of GSP Dragic (Broken Vow), who is a daughter of GSW Letgomyecho (Menifee). That mare also produced champion and GI Kentucky Oaks prospect Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), GISW and Coolmore stallion Echo Town (Speightstown), GSW J Boys Echo (Mineshaft) and GSP...

Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo) returned to the scene of his previous career best score to stamp his ticket to the Run for the Roses with a late-rallying score over Early Voting (Gun Runner) in the GII Wood Memorial S. at Aqueduct Saturday. It was the seventh Wood Memorial victory for Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, tying Sunny Jim Fitzsimmons record. His previous winners were Eskendereya (2010), Gemologist (2012), Verrazano (2013), Outwork (2016), Vino Rosso (2018) and Bourbonic (2021). Verrazano went on to win the GI Haskell Invitational and Vino Rosso...

If you think you've heard this story before, it's because you have. On the opening weekend of the 2021 spring meeting at historic Keeneland, trainer Todd Pletcher led over a filly by leading sire Curlin out of an A.P. Indy mare in the GI Central Bank Ashland S. A little more than 102 seconds later, 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat was being unsaddled and 27 days later, was getting her picture taken after the GI Longines Kentucky Oaks. The high-profile connections of Nest (Curlin) will certainly be hoping that lightning strikes...

'TDN Rising Star' Wit (Practical Joke) launches his 3-year-old campaign against nine rivals in Saturday's GIII Bay Shore S. After beginning his career with a pair of blowout victories despite awkward breaks, led by Saratoga's GIII Sanford S., the 2-1 Bay Shore morning-line favorite was second after stumbling at the start in the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 6 and a well-beaten third in the GI Champagne S. most recently Oct. 2. "He's doing really well," Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. "We got a good work into him Sunday....

The New York road to the GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S., featuring the winners of Aqueduct's GII Remsen S., GIII Withers S. and GIII Gotham S., respectively. Morello (Classic Empire) brings a perfect three-for-three record to the table for Steve Asmussen following sharp, press-and-pounce victories in the Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6 and one-turn mile Gotham Mar. 5. He is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for this first test around two turns. "We're excited. The horse is doing well, he's super sharp and we think we...

A small, but competitive field of six sophomore colts are set to line up Friday in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. Two-time Transylvania winner Chad Brown saddles a third of the field in Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) and Napoleonic War (War Front). Rallying to a decisive score in his Belmont unveiling Oct. 10, Juddmonte homebred Verbal closed strongly to take Del Mar's GIII Cecil B. Demille S. at Del Mar next out Nov. 28. He is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in this sophomore bow. His stablemate Napoleonic War is the longest shot...

Todd Pletcher captured last year's GI Central Bank Ashland S. with the blue-blooded Malathaat (Curlin), who went on to take the GI Kentucky Oaks in her next start. The Hall of Famer looks to repeat in Friday's renewal with another daughter of Curlin named Nest. A dominant debut winner going two turns at Belmont in September, the $350,000 KEESEP buy checked in third in the Tempted S. there next out Nov. 5. Besting next-out Busher S. winner and Saturday's GII Gazelle S. contender Venti Valentine (Firing Line) by a neck...

Fans will have the final pari-mutuel opportunity to bet on this year's GI Kentucky Derby in advance of the May 7 race beginning Thursday at noon ET through Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET for Pool 5 of the Kentucky Derby Future Wager ("KDFW"). Pool 5 of the KDFW features 24 betting interests and the 5-1 early morning-line favorite is Winchell Thoroughbreds' GII TwinSpires.com Louisiana Derby winner Epicenter (Not This Time). Unlike the previous three-day Kentucky Derby Future Wager opportunities, Pool 5 will feature an early start Thursday and will close...

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr., who captured Saturday's GI Curlin Florida Derby with White Abarrio (Race Day), earned his first Championship Meet title at Gulfstream Park Sunday. Joseph closed out the meet with 58 winners, 12 victories ahead of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, the defending 18-time titlist. "Most definitely the Florida Derby was the icing on the cake. The Championship Meet title also means a lot. I grew up watching Todd my whole life. He's dominated for 18 years now. I'm 35 now. To take over from him after...