Saratoga notes: Pletcher barn set for late charge

Barbara D. Livingston

Dreaming of Julia trains at Saratoga on Monday.

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – There may be only one week remaining in the meet, but there are at least 10 stakes races to be run and trainer Todd Pletcher figures to be a factor in many of them. That’s why it was another busy Monday morning for Saratoga’s leading trainer as he put a plethora of horses – many of them 2-year-olds – on the track for workouts.

Arguably the most impressive work was put in by Dreaming of Julia, who is only a possibility to run in Sunday’s Grade 1 Spinaway for 2-year-old fillies. Dreaming of Julia, with jockey John Velazquez, up, went five furlongs in 59.59 seconds, getting her final quarter in 24.12. She galloped out six furlongs in 1:12.94 and seven-eighths in 1:28.14.

“If you didn’t have a watch on her you’d say she went in 1:02,” Pletcher said.

Dreaming of Julia, a 10 1/2-length debut winner on Aug. 6, is owned Stonestreet Stables, which also has Teen Pauline, a 4 3/4-length debut winner on July 25 for the Spinaway. Teen Pauline, trained by Steve Asmussen, worked an impressive five furlongs in 1:00.96 on Sunday over the main track.

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Barbara Banke, the head of Stone­street, said it would be unlikely the two would run in the same race.

“I don’t think we want to do it,” Banke said. “Both are homebreds, both are named for family members.”

Pletcher will at least be represented in the Spinaway by Corail, a 3 1/2-length debut winner here on Aug. 1. On Monday, Corail worked five furlongs in company with Shanghai Bobby, a colt preparing for next Monday’s Grade 2 Hopeful Stakes. Shanghai Bobby was credited with a time of 1:00.91 while Corail was given a time of 1:00.95

Shanghai Bobby was forced to scratch out of the Saratoga Special because of a temperature. Pletcher said Shanghai Bobby missed only three days of training.

“We’ve gotten two works and we made up for what we lost,” Pletcher said.

Pletcher could enter as many as four in the Hopeful. Palace Malice is considered a definite. Overanalyze and Lawn Man could also be entered after an allowance race for Friday failed to fill.

Palace Malice worked four furlongs in 48.83 seconds Monday in company with the older filly Maristar. Lawn Man and Overanalyze went four furlongs together in 48.56 seconds.

Later in the morning, Pletcher sent out Dominus for a workout on the Oklahoma turf in 47 seconds in company with Crazy Party.

“They worked him on the grass at Ocala before and they indicated he really liked it,” Pletcher said. “From what we saw I would agree.”

Pletcher said he would take a look at Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch Handicap for Dominus, who has yet to run on turf.

Dominus could also be considered for the Grade 1 Forego on Saturday, provided The Factor doesn’t come. Pletcher will be represented in the Forego by Caixa Eletronica, since a turf starter allowance he was being pointed at did not fill.

Meanwhile, Pletcher said that Love and Pride, his upset winner of Sunday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign, came out of her race well and would be considered for the Grade 1 Beldame at Belmont on Sept. 29.