Belmont Park: Pletcher plotting autumn moves

Barbara D. Livingston

Kauai Katie, the Adirondack winner, is being pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Matron on Sept. 30.

ELMONT, N.Y. - Plotting out the future for 21 maiden winning 2-year-olds isn’t easy, especially when there are limited opportunities to run on dirt. Thus, Pletcher has made plans for some, though not all, of his juvenile arsenal.

Kauai Katie, the Adirondack winner, and Unabashed, a 4 1/2-length debut winner, are being pointed to the Grade 2, $200,000 Matron at six furlongs here on Sept. 30. Jocosity, who won his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths in his dirt debut – his third career start – is possible for the Grade 2, $200,000 Futurity, also at six furlongs, on the same day.

“I think right now in terms of his development he’s probably best-suited for shorter,” Pletcher said.

Shanghai Bobby, who is 3 for 3 after his victory in the Grade 2 Hopeful, is on schedule for the Grade 1 Champagne here on Oct. 6. Pletcher mentioned the debut-winning trio of Archwarrior, Violence, and Micromanage as horses who could be aimed at the Champagne. He also said one of those horses – or perhaps another – could go in the Dover Stakes at Delaware, also on Oct. 6.

Pletcher said none of his owners with stakes-caliber 2-year-olds has expressed a desire to go to Santa Anita for any of their juvenile prep races leading to the Breeders’ Cup, which is also being held at Santa Anita.

Charming Kitten, a debut winner on turf at Saratoga and third in the With Anticipation, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland on Oct. 6. Tara from the Cape, third in the P.G. Johnson, is being pointed to the Grade 1 Darley Alcibiades on Oct. 5.

Tentatively, Notacatbutallama is targeting the Grade 3, $150,000 Pilgrim here on Oct. 7 while Top Tier Lass could run in the Grade 3, $150,000 Miss Grillo the same day.

Love and Pride possible for Zenyatta

One horse that Pletcher may elect to ship to Southern California is Love and Pride, upset winner of the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga, who could run next in the Zenyatta Stakes (formerly the Lady’s Secret) at Santa Anita on Sept. 29. The other option is the Beldame here on the same day.

“The fact that it’s two turns is the main attraction,” Pletcher said of why he may try the Zenyatta. “Either race she goes in she has to pick up a significant weight impost. Going out there and getting a race over the track might be beneficial.”

Pletcher also said that Dominus, front-running winner of the Bernard Baruch, is likely to run in the Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland on Oct. 6.