Todd Pletcher
'TDN Rising Star' Mutasaabeq (Into Mischief), already a graded winner on turf of the GII Bourbon S. at Keeneland last season, returned to the main track and asserted his authority late to take Saturday's Mucho Macho Man S. at Gulfstream Park. Away in good order, the $425,000 Keeneland November weanling fell into a good stalking trip as Awesome Gerry took them along at a solid tempo down the backstretch. The 11-10 chalk appeared to be making hard work of it as they hit the three-furlong marker and Luis Saez was...
3rd-GP, $50K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 1:05p.m. Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's SHAFTESBURY (Uncle Mo) kicks off his career for Todd Pletcher, who already owns 16 training titles at the South Florida oval. Out of the stakes-winning Lemon Kiss (Lemon Drop Kid), the $675,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is a half-sibling to Grade I-winner Lochte (Medaglia d'Oro). TJCIS PPs 7th-GP, $50K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:08p.m. Todd Pletcher sends out a pair of wel-bred first-time starters, led by Charles Fipke's UNBRIDLED D'ORO (Medaglia d'Oro)....
7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-17, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.13, ft, 7 lengths. ARHAM (c, 3, Union Rags--Sanaaya, by Smart Strike) beat up on his four rivals for a sharp debut score here. Ridden hard from the outset after bumping a rival at the start, the 3-5 favorite forced the issue from the outside in second, cruised up to challenge for the top slot as they hit the quarter pole and proved much the best from there, romping by seven lengths over Catch On Emotional (Uncaptured). "It was very professional," winning trainer Todd...
Sent off at odds of 16-1 as the lesser-fancied of a pair from trainer Todd Pletcher in Saturday's GII Ft. Lauderdale S., Largent (Into Mischief) settled in the latter half of the field and took advantage of a fast pace up ahead of him to cause the upset and likely earn a spot in the field for the $1-million GI Pegasus World Cup Turf next month. Largent landed behind midfield as Halladay (War Front) set a searching pace in advance of the fleet-footed Factor This (The Factor) with the equally...
Sponsored by Alex Nichols Agency 2nd-Gulstream Park, $50k, Msw, 2yo, 6f, post time: 12:35 p.m. Todd Pletcher saddles firster PRIME FACTOR (Quality Road) for China Horse Club and WinStar Farm. The bay colt was a $900,000 purchase at last year's Keeneland September sale. He is out of Haylie Brae (Bernardini), a half-sister to graded-winning freshman sire Speightster and a granddaughter of blue hen mare Classy 'n Smart (Smarten). Christophe Clement sends out Shel Evans's Broadway (Quality Road), a $500,000 purchase at last year's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Yearling Sale. The juvenile is...
Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a pair of runners in Saturday's GII Fort Lauderdale S. at Gulfstream Park, the local prep for the Jan. 23 GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational. Harrell Ventures' Halladay (War Front), winner of the Aug. 22 GI Fourstardave H. set the pace before fading to sixth in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Mile last time out. The 4-year-old is three-for-three over the Gulfstream lawn where he won the Tropical Park Derby last December and this year's Sunshine Forever S. Stablemate Largent (Into Mischief) has won...
Multiple stakes-winning King for a Day (Uncle Mo--Ubetwereven, by French Deputy) will begin his stud career in 2021 under the management of Irish Hill & Dutchess Views Stallions LLC in Saratoga, New York. He will stand for $6,000 Live Foal Stand and Nurse. Bred and raced by Stephen P. Brunetti's Red Oak Stable, King for a Day won last year's Sir Barton S. and defeated champion Maximum Security (New Year's Day) to win the Pegasus S. at Monmouth Park. He was a narrowly beaten second while concluding his racing career...
Undefeated 'TDN Rising Star' Malathaat (Curlin) looks to remain perfect as she steps up to graded company in Saturday's GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct. A decisive debut winner going seven panels at Belmont Oct. 9, the $1.05-million KEESEP buy romped by 7 3/4 lengths in the one-mile Tempted S. at this oval Nov. 6. "You would think with her pedigree and the way she won going a mile that a stretch out should not be an issue," trainer Todd Pletcher told the NYRA notes team. "She's always trained like a...
Never Surprised graduated by a dominant 3 1/2 lengths in his six-furlong debut over this turf course Nov. 8. Stretching out for this second start, the bay colt had the lead all to himself after longshot Counterfeitcurency (Currency Swap) got bumped hard at the break and lost rider Mike Luzzi. Never Surprised jumped out to the early lead and was unchallenged through fractions of :23.85 and :49.37 as the loose horse drifted in and out of the field behind him. He had a three-length advantage in upper stretch and maintained...
4th-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 11-28, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:45.62, gd, 1 3/4 lengths. SPIRIT MAKER (c, 2, Empire Maker--California Spirit, by Tale of the Cat), a $330,000 OBS April buy after breezing an eighth in :10 1/5, was given a 6-1 chance to graduate at first asking. Eighth through a half mile in :48.20, he began to wind up on the far turn, angled out five wide into the stretch and came charging down the center of the course to graduate by 1 3/4 good-looking lengths over Girl Dad (Malibu Moon)....
Vacay dominated in her stakes debut Sunday to become her fast-starting freshman sire (by Giant's Causeway)'s third black-type winner. A 1 3/4-length first up winner in the Belmont slop Oct. 16, she was backed down to favoritism and soon showed why. The dark bay broke with the pack from her outside five post and settled in second last while always off the fence. Scrubbed on to hold her position into the bend, she mounted a wide bid into a :45.89 half and bounded past rivals over the top en route...
3rd-AQU, $80K, 2yo, 8.5fT, 12:50 p.m. ET Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, William Freeman and Michael Valdes's AVIANO (Medaglia d'Oro) debuts for trainer Todd Pletcher, who recorded his 5,000th career victory last weekend and becomes eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2021. Out of graded stakes winner Bryan's Jewel (Rockport Harbor), the April foal realized a $775,000 final bid from Eclipse at last year's Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling sale in Saratoga. Bryan's Jewel, a daughter of $650,000 Fasig-Tipton buy Saphiria (Touch Gold)--trained by Pletcher--is also responsible for a Bodemeister filly ultimately named...