Disruptor, Grande could fill the void for Pletcher, Repole

Trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole retired Grade 1 winners Fierceness and Mindframe following 2025, but their cupboard is not bare of talented older dirt males.

Disruptor won his first graded stakes Saturday when he beat heavily favored Disco Time in the Grade 3, $100,000 Challenger Stakes. His final time of 1:41.40 was just .20 off the track record and earned Disruptor a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

Last month, Grande won a second-level allowance at Gulfstream Park, his third victory from four career starts and one in which he earned a 105 Beyer Speed Figure.

If all goes well, those two horses may try to give Pletcher and Repole a sweep of the Grade 1 Churchill Downs and Grade 2 Alysheba, races they won last year with Mindframe and Fierceness, respectively.

In the Challenger, Disruptor broke sharp, but let longshot Paynter’s Prodigy have the lead. After taking over from him around the far turn, Disruptor turned aside heavily favored Disco Time.

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Disruptor, a son of Gun Runner, is 2 for 2 this year after returning from a layoff following a fifth-place finish in last year’s Grade 1 Florida Derby. Since he has twice won at seven furlongs he may run next in the Churchill Downs.

“I think he’s versatile,” Pletcher said. “He’s got natural speed but doesn’t have to be on the lead. As long as he gets into a rhythm, especially when you watch him breeze, he gets in a good rhythm and keeps going and going.”

Grande, meanwhile, is pointing to the Ghostzapper Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile race on March 28 at Gulfstream. A good performance there likely earns him a shot in the Alysheba. He has yet to run shorter than one mile.

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