Breeders' Cup Classic: Pletcher happy with Tapit Trice, Crupi still under consideration
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The day after he worked three of his Breeders’ Cup contenders at Saratoga, trainer Todd Pletcher was back at Belmont Park on Friday morning to put two more of his BC hopefuls through their penultimate workouts.
Tapit Trice, Pletcher’s “other” BC Classic contender, worked a half-mile in 49.12 seconds over the training track. Going in company with Crupi, the Grade 2 Suburban winner, Tapit Trice went in splits of 12.69 seconds, 24.72, 49.12, and continued on through five furlongs in 1:02.00, six furlongs in 1:14.79, and seven furlongs in 1:28.90.
“Good, I was happy with him, he’s training well,” said Pletcher, who also has Fierceness for the Classic. “It seems like he may be peaking at the right time.”
Crupi is still under Classic consideration, Pletcher said, but no decision has been made.
Tapit Trice, a son of Tapit, has only made three starts this year, winning the Grade 3 Monmouth Cup, finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup, then winning the Grade 2 Woodward in the slop.
The disappointing effort in the Jockey Club Gold Cup could have been a result of Tapit Trice running such a strong race in the Monmouth Cup, his first start off an 11-month layoff.
“Felt like we gave him plenty of time, but running a mile and an eighth off a long layoff like he did can sometimes be taxing,” Pletcher said. “Our original plan was to go Jockey Club maybe straight to the Breeders’ Cup, but after that we decided to go to the Woodward. Hopefully, it all works out.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., who won last year’s Classic on White Abarrio, will ride Tapit Trice in the Classic on Nov. 2.
Also at Belmont on Friday, Pletcher worked Gate to Wire in preparation for a likely start in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, though he will also be pre-entered in the Juvenile Turf. Gate to Wire, wearing blinkers for the first time, worked a half-mile in 49.16 seconds in company with Tam I Am.
Pletcher liked the blinker addition for Gate to Wire.
“He seemed dialed in,” Pletcher said. “He’s generally a pretty honest workhorse, but I thought it was good. He was a little bit green last time, figured backing up to five-eighths, it can’t hurt.”
At Saratoga, Pletcher’s BC Turf candidate Grand Sonata worked a half-mile in 51.55 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course.
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