Aqueduct: Pletcher hopeful Mordi’s Miracle has figured things out

Mordi’s Miracle had been a huge disappointment for trainer Todd Pletcher and Zayat Stables through his first four starts.

But on Dec. 5, he won a one-mile maiden race by 9 1/2 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 96.

Saturday, Mordi’s Miracle, a 3-year-old son of Lawyer Ron, will try to prove he’s not a one-hit wonder when he faces winners for the first time in a $69,000 allowance race at a mile and 70 yards over the inner track.

Pletcher said the fact the horse was able to break cleanly may have played a role in the colt getting his first victory.

“He was able break well enough and get in the race,” Pletcher said. “We always thought he had a lot of talent, but he had various gate difficulties. Hopefully, he’s got it straightened out.”

In his debut in January at Gulfstream, Mordi’s Miracle ducked in and unseated rider John Velazquez. He broke slowly in his next two starts and was beaten a combined 49 1/2 lengths. He tried the grass at Aqueduct in November, but “hung like a horse like that didn’t really relish the turf,” Pletcher said.

Saturday, Mordi’s Miracle will take on a field made up mostly of multiple winners such as Chairman Now, Bomber Boy, and This Hard Land.
Chris DeCarlo will ride Mordi’s Miracle from post 2.

Pletcher eyes New Year’s stakes

Pletcher plans to be represented in both scheduled stakes on Tuesday’s New Year’s Day program with R Gypsy Gold in the $75,000 Ladies Handicap and Mildly Offensive in the $75,000 Interborough Stakes.

R Gypsy Gold has won two overnight stakes at Belmont, but is winless in five graded opportunities. In the Ladies, run at 1 1/8 miles, she will likely face Arena Elvira, who defeated R Gypsy Gold by a head in the Wayward Lass Stakes at Tampa in March.

Others pointing to the Ladies are Moon Philly, and possibly Hard Life – fourth in a second-level allowance race here on Thursday – Centrique, and Joyce’s Angel.

Pletcher said R Gypsy Gold is expected to remain in training for 2013.

Mildly Offensive, however, is expected to be bred in 2013 and the Interborough could be her last start. Mildly Offensive, purchased privately earlier this year by WinStar Farm – which had bred and sold the filly – won the Big Bambu Stakes at Saratoga in August. Most recently, she finished second to My Wandys Girl in the Pentelis Stakes at Aqueduct on Nov. 15.

Others pointing to the Interborough are Hot Roots, Ms Cruisen’, Promise Me a Cat, Silent Serenity, and Singlet.

Valente not leaving Levine

Though he has a couple of horses now with trainer David Jacobson, owner Roddy Valente said he still maintains a healthy business relationship with his long-time trainer Bruce Levine.

“I’m not leaving Bruce,” Valente said Thursday. “I just mixed it up. I got a couple of guys I’m partners with who wanted to give a few to David.”

Valente and his partners Tom Lemme and Charlie Casale won a claiming race with Jacobson on Dec. 2 with Sweet Tart, a horse imported from Southern California. On Saturday, that trio has St Liams Halo with Jacobson in the eighth race.

Valente has two horses with Levine entered for Sunday.

“I love Bruce,” said Valente, whose owner-trainer relationship with Levine is one of the longest running on this circuit. “He’s got over 20 horses of mine in his barn. The only way I leave Bruce is if he retires.”