For Pletcher, 41 shots at Kentucky Derby roses
BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. – A training chart with 41 horses isn’t all that uncommon. Many of the top trainers in North America have at least that many horses to look after. The powerhouse stables have two or three times that number, some even more.
All of which boggles the mind in regard to what Todd Pletcher is doing this winter. Pletcher has 41 3-year-olds nominated to the Triple Crown, an all-time record that once again will make his stable the most-watched on the road to the 140th Kentucky Derby on May 3 at Churchill Downs. (The original list has Pletcher as trainer of a 42nd nominee, Bashart, but that colt is now with Christophe Clement at Payson Park.)
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
There has yet to be a Pletcher runner to emerge as a favorite for the Kentucky Derby in the way Uncle Mo, Eskendereya, or even Verrazano distinguished themselves in recent years. But with nearly three months until the Derby, and all the major prep races still to be run, there might be a dozen or more Pletcher horses with the potential to be among the core of favorites by Derby Day. Five of his nominees are fillies, and they are more likely to end up in the May 2 Kentucky Oaks, but Pletcher said he wants to “keep our options open.”
“I guess if you asked me to name our top five prospects right now, they’d be Havana, Commissioner, Harpoon, Vinceremos, and Intense Holiday, but that’s only because they’ve all gone out and actually done something so far,” he said. “You’ve got that next tier of horses where they’re only one more good race away from being in the top group, but it’s hard to put them on any kind of list until they go out and do it.”
Four of those colts just below the radar not only have impressive debut victories as the only race on their past-performances but also share another thing in common: they all were sired by Tapit. They are Anchor Down, Constitution, Hartford, and Matterhorn.
“I guess it’s quite a coincidence they’re all by the same sire,” he said. “They’re all at pretty much the same stage right now, where their next race is critical in determining how we proceed. Obviously these next few weeks are very important in our decision-making process.”
Well before dawn on a recent morning at the Palm Meadows training center, where all but a handful of his Triple Crown nominees are training, Pletcher could be found intensely inspecting his horses. This daily routine is factory-like, but the individual attention Pletcher gives each horse is not. Pletcher carefully touched each horse from withers to rump before running his hands over all four legs and then watching the horse jog for its handler.
Later that day, Pletcher took time to go through each of his 41 Triple Crown nominees and comment about each one. Some took just a few seconds, but others, such as Breeders’ Cup Juvenile runner-up Havana, he took a little more time discussing.
“He’ll go next in the Swale,” said Pletcher, referring to the seven-furlong race at Gulfstream Park on March 1. “He just breezed here Saturday and I was pleasantly surprised at the level of fitness he showed. It made me feel good that we’re on schedule with him, maybe even a little ahead.”
Pletcher had a record-tying five Derby starters last year, with third-place Revolutionary being his best finisher. He shares the record for most starters in a Derby with D. Wayne Lukas and Nick Zito. From 36 career Kentucky Derby starters, he has had one Derby winner, Super Saver in 2010.
| Todd Pletcher 2014 Triple Crown nominees | |||
| Horse | Owner | Best race won | Plans/comment |
| All Tied Up | Dogwood Stables | N1X (turf) | alw. followed by Spiral or BG |
| All In Blue | Starlight Stables | MSW | recently in from Ocala |
| Anchor Down | Alto Racing LLC | MSW | alw. then maybe Fla. or Ark. Derby |
| Atreides | Stonestreet Stables | unstarted | half-brother to Dreaming of Julia |
| Camden Street | Coolmore | MSW (turf) | GP turf alw. Fri. |
| Canzoni | Alto Racing LLC | MSW (turf) | probably dirt opportunity soon |
| Commissioner | WinStar Stables | N1X | Fountain of Youth Feb. 22 at GP |
| Constitution | WinStar/Twin Creeks | MSW | alw. then major Derby prep |
| f-Dame Dorothy | Bobby Flay | N1X | Davona Dale Feb. 22 at GP |
| Danza | Eclipse Thor. Partners | MSW | hoping for a race around March 1 |
| Divine Oath | Let’s Go Stables | MSW (turf) | alw. then maybe Spiral |
| Edison | Coolmore | MSW (turf) | alw. next but may be better turf |
| Gala Award | Coolmore | MSW (turf) | alw. or maybe Risen Star |
| Global Strike | Stonestreet Stables | winless | shouldn’t be maiden much longer |
| Goodnewsisnonews | Repole Stables | winless | needs to make a leap |
| f-Got Lucky | Hill ‘n’ Dale | MSW | keeping our options open |
| Harpoon | Let’s Go Stables | MSW | Tampa Derby or Gotham next |
| Hartford | Stonestreet Stables | MSW | little behind but has it talent-wise |
| Havana | Coolmore | G1 Champagne | on schedule for March 1 Swale |
| Hines | Let’s Go/Coolmore | winless | makings of a 12-furlong horse |
| Holy Wildcat | Ken/Sarah Ramsey | winless | a little behind schedule |
| Intense Holiday | Starlight Stables | MSW | improving and thriving on racing |
| Killer Crossover | Repole Stables | winless | needs to win to show he belongs |
| King Cyrus | WinStar | MSW | returns to race (alw.) on about March 1 |
| Lord Trondor | WinStar | unstarted | be ready to run about March 1 |
| Madd Exchange | Green Hills Farm | winless | disappointing last weekend |
| Master Lightning | Alan Cook/Larry Pratt | N1X | Gotham if next race OK |
| Matterhorn | Coolmore | MSW | GP alw. race on Feb. 22 |
| Misconnect | Repole Stables | MSW | still in Ocala and behind schedule |
| Monopolize | Repole Stables | MSW | just has to improve |
| New Saloon | Robert Evans | unstarted | be ready to run about March 1 |
| f-Onlyforyou | Glencrest Farm | G2 Forward Gal | keeping options open |
| f-Our Amazing Rose | Repole Stables | MSW | GP alw. on or about March 1 |
| Pacific | Stonestreet/Gainesway | unstarted | still at Stonestreet in Ocala |
| Palace Gate | Michael Tabor | winless | acts like farther the better |
| Pax in Terra | Eric Fein | MSW (restr.) | to run back in NY-bred allowance |
| f-Stopchargingmaria | Repole Stables | G2 Demoiselle | keeping options open |
| Surfing U S A | Stonestreet/Bolton | MSW | Gotham a good possibility |
| Trail Blaze | Stonestreet/Bolton | MSW | probably a break upcoming |
| Vinceremos | WinStar/Twin Creeks | G3 Sam Davis | back in Tampa Bay Derby |
| We Miss Artie | Ken/Sarah Ramsey | G1 Br. Futurity | Palm Beach to Blue Grass |
| f –filly | |||