Competitive Edge, Curlina breeze for Pletcher

ELMONT, N.Y. – While his three Belmont Stakes starters were the focal point of his Friday morning, trainer Todd Pletcher had several other horses put in workouts for upcoming stakes engagements.

Competitive Edge, Pletcher’s undefeated 3-year-old male, and Curlina, a 3-year-old filly who has won two of three starts, went a sharp half-mile together in 48.87 seconds over the Belmont main track. The two then galloped out impressively, going five furlongs in 1:00.43 and six furlongs in 1:12.75.

Competitive Edge is likely to go in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens, but Pletcher hasn’t ruled out the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap.

“Competitive Edge, I thought he worked exceptionally well today,” Pletcher said. “I don’t know that it was enough to convince me to run him in the Met, but he made me think about it a little bit. The logical thing to do is run in the Woody Stephens.”

Curlina, an 8 1/4-length winner of a first-level allowance race at Churchill Downs on May 1, is targeting the Grade 1 Acorn at a mile.

“I thought her last race at Churchill was very impressive, and she’s trained more impressively since coming here. It’s a big jump, looks like a large field, but she looks ready for that step up in class.”

Liam’s Map, unraced since winning the Harlan’s Holiday Stakes last December, worked five furlongs in 1:00.20 over the Belmont training track in company with Micromanage, who is pointing to the Brooklyn. Liam’s Map was ahead by a length while galloping out six furlongs in 1:14.80 and four lengths in front after pulling up seven furlongs in 1:29.

Pletcher has the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 8 at Saratoga in mind for Liam’s Map but isn’t sure where to run beforehand. One possibility is the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvatore Mile at Monmouth Park on July 5.

“I’d like to get a race into him before the Whitney with proper spacing,” Pletcher said.