Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies: Candied leads Pletcher's threesome
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It’s been a bumper crop of 2-year-old fillies this season for trainer Todd Pletcher.
The first weekend in October he sent out Candied to win the Alcibiades at Keeneland, Scalable to a runner-up effort in the Chandelier at Santa Anita, and Life Talk to a third-place finish in the Frizette at Aqueduct.
The races were Win and You’re In preps for the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 3 at Santa Anita. Pletcher said all three runners are under consideration for the 1 1/16-mile race – and he even has a candidate for the Juvenile Fillies Turf in Life’s an Audible.
“We’ve been fortunate,” he said.
Candied is the early 4-1 second choice for the Juvenile Fillies on Daily Racing Form’s line set by David Aragona. She’s unbeaten in two starts and for her sweeping win in the Alcibiades earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85. In the race, Candied defeated Grade 1 winner Brightwork and Grade 3 winner V V’s Dream.
“Our biggest concern was going from a six-furlong maiden race to a two-turn, Grade 1 stakes against high-quality, seasoned fillies,” Pletcher said. “We thought it was asking a lot of her. We were doing so because we’d been so confident in the way she trained, the way she ran in her debut, and the way she breezed after her debut. I can’t say we were surprised. We were very impressed.”
Pletcher said Candied has remained at Keeneland and will fly to Santa Anita the week of the Breeders’ Cup. Luis Saez has the mount for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.
“You’d like to think now having two turns under her belt, she could make another move forward,” Pletcher said.
Scalable shipped back to Keeneland following the Chandelier. The decision to target the prep off a fifth-place finish in a maiden special weight at Saratoga was made for a couple of reasons, Pletcher said.
“We thought her debut was sneaky-good,” he said. “She trained very well and with Tamara skipping the race, it looked like it was a wide-open race. Off one start, stretching out, we were super happy with her effort. She was closing well at the end and is in a position to make another move forward.”
Pletcher said a rider is to be determined. Mike Smith, who rode Scalable, is the regular rider of Aragona’s early 7-5 favorite, Tamara.
Scalable is a Speightstown filly out of Passion Flower, who is a half-sister to 2015 Breeders’ Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria.
Repole Stable owns Scalable as well as Life Talk. Life Talk was a maiden winner at a mile at Saratoga and raced over a wet track for the first time in the one-turn Frizette.
“We think she’ll improve around two turns,” Pletcher said. “I don’t think she relished the going at Aqueduct. It was a determined third.”
Pletcher said Life Talk is now at Keeneland and will be ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Alys Beach reps Tramontin
Alys Beach is set to be the first Breeders’ Cup starter for veteran owner Greg Tramontin in the Juvenile Fillies. She worked Tuesday at Churchill in her first move since finishing third in the Alcibiades.
Tyler Gaffalione has the mount, trainer Tom Amoss said.
Alys Beach, which Amoss said is pronounced “Alice” Beach, after the community in the Florida panhandle, is a product of Tramontin’s recent efforts to expand his racing holdings.
“Greg and I have worked together for 20-plus years, and in the last two, three years he has decided to become more involved as an owner in the business,” Amoss said. “He was very active at the Keeneland yearling sale. We’re excited about the 16 yearlings he bought at the sale.”
Amoss said Alys Beach was one of four yearlings Tramontin had bought the prior year.
“Greg is trying to build his stable and his emphasis is on fillies,” Amoss said. “He’s going to have a small emphasis on colts as well.”
Amoss said there were a couple of reasons to look at the Breeders’ Cup with Alys Beach, who won her debut over next-out winner Life Talk in a maiden race at Saratoga. Alys Beach went on to close for fourth in the Spinaway, then made her two-turn debut in the Alcibiades.
“She’s a talented filly,” Amoss said. “I think we ran in what was the toughest prep of all leading into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies in the Alcibiades. I think there’s improvement to be had off that race.”
Alys Beach set the pace after breaking from the rail.
“We used that strategy in the Alcibiades,” Amoss said. “She’s not married to that strategy at all.”
In a few weeks Tramontin, who co-owned Grade 1 winner No Parole, will be looking for more success at the level with the new generation of his growing stable.
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