In a change, Pletcher works horses over the main track
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher has been training regularly over the Oklahoma strip since shipping the majority of his stable to Saratoga earlier this spring, but he switched venues on Friday. He worked 13 horses over the main track during the course of the morning, including the Suburban-bound pair of Locked and Antiquarian.
The two horses were a contrast in styles in their final serious preparation for the Grade 2 event next Saturday.
Locked was the first of the duo to work over a freshly harrowed track. He breezed a very easy and even half-mile in 52.42 seconds before continuing out another full quarter with plenty of energy on the gallop-out. Locked races in, but usually does not work with blinkers, although he was equipped with them this morning.
“He just went an easy half by himself. We weren’t looking for much from him today,” Pletcher said. “Kind of worked evenly with the blinkers on and was looking at everything coming by” the finish line.
Antiquarian, on the other hand, was put in company and responded with a brisk 47.81 half-mile punctuated by a very strong gallop-out. He covered five-eighths in 1:00.19 and was up six panels in 1:13.01 while widening his advantage on his partner steadily to and through the wire.
“He had a good race at Churchill, he was second to Mystik Dan [in the Grade 3 Blame], and he’s been training very well since. He looks good.” Pletcher said.
A couple of hours earlier, Pletcher sent out Grade 1 winner Leslie’s Rose to work a leisurely four furlongs in 48.54 before continuing strongly into and around the clubhouse turn on the gallop-out, easing up after six furlongs in 1:14.03. The work was her first since she was eased through the final furlong of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps over a sealed and sloppy strip on June 6.
“She hates the slop, my fault for running her,” Pletcher admitted regarding the Phipps. “It was one of those situations [with] rain coming on the way to the paddock basically. We talked about scratching but we hoped the Kentucky Oaks [when she was beaten 44 lengths over a sloppy track] was a one off.
“She doesn’t care for an off track. She worked well this morning. We’re pointing for either the Shuvee or Molly Pitcher. We’ll see.”
The Grade 2 Shuvee will be run at 1 1/8 miles on July 18 at Saratoga. The Grade 3 Molly Pitcher is a 1 1/16-mile race on July 19 at Monmouth Park.
Pletcher, like trainer Bill Mott earlier, addressed the slow nature of the Oklahoma training surface over the past several weeks. He noted it was like night and day bringing his horses across the street to work over the main track on Friday.
“The Oklahoma track has been demanding, a little bit on the slow side all spring and early summer,” Pletcher said. “This is our first day of breezing over here and you can tell there is quite a difference, although a lot of horses have breezed slow over there and come over here and run well, like Sovereignty.
“We’ve also seen some horses work faster and seemingly easier over this track than over there and not run as well either. So it can be hard to tell what to expect.”
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