Inside Straight is Pletcher's ace in Gander Stakes
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Todd Pletcher has gotten with the program.
Pletcher, the seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, has accrued a large number of talented New York-breds in his stable, three of whom will be in action in Saturday’s $100,000 Gander Stakes for 3-year-old males at a mile and 70 yards. Pletcher’s runners are Inside Straight, Cards of Stone, and Sudden Surprise.
Inside Straight is a son of Pletcher’s lone Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver, and is coming off an allowance victory over Cards of Stone on Jan. 10. Since that race, a majority interest in Cards of Stone was purchased by Highclere America and Adam Wachtel, and the horse was transferred to Pletcher. Sudden Surprise is 5 for 6, with all five of those victories coming in races at seven furlongs or shorter. He is attempting two turns for the first time.
Though Inside Straight won his second start sprinting – beating fellow Gander entrant Governor Malibu by 2 1/2 lengths at Saratoga – Pletcher thought he would improve going two turns. Inside Straight ran second in a first-level turf allowance at Aqueduct on Nov. 19.
Pletcher equipped Inside Straight with blinkers for his next start, a two-turn race on dirt Dec. 11, but the colt stumbled at the start, unseating Jose Ortiz. On Jan. 10, in a race run over a sloppy track and in the fog, Inside Straight ran by Cards of Stone in the stretch, earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 86.
“It’s a difficult race to analyze because of the conditions,” Pletcher said. “I think he ran down a nice horse and did it the right way. He was one we always liked and felt like two turns was going to help him.”
Inside Straight finished 13 3/4 lengths behind Sudden Surprise when both debuted going 5 1/2 furlongs in the slop at Saratoga last July. Sudden Surprise went on to win five of six starts as a 2-year-old, his lone loss coming in the Sleepy Hollow at a mile.
“This will be his test to see if he belongs around two turns,” Pletcher said.
Cards of Stone has been in Pletcher’s care only since Jan. 28. The gelding by Bustin Stones showed good speed in winning a one-turn-mile maiden race Dec. 6 before running second behind Inside Straight.
The Gander goes as race 3 on the 10-race program, which begins at 12:20 p.m. Eastern.
KEY CONTENDERS
Inside Straight, by Super Saver
Last 3 Beyers: 86-68-61
◗ Comes off the best performance of his career, which came around two turns over the inner track and with blinkers on.
◗ Three starts back, he finished second in a turf race to Whatawonderflworld, who came back to win an OBS Championship stakes race Jan. 26.
◗ Cornelio Velasquez rides Inside Straight, replacing Ortiz, whom Pletcher named to ride Sudden Surprise.
Sudden Surprise, by Giant Surprise
Last 3 Beyers: 79-78-78
◗ Consistently good sprinting, he suffered his only loss when fourth going a one-turn mile in the Sleepy Hollow.
◗ Over the last three years, Pletcher is 3-1-2 from eight starters going sprint to route in stakes races run over the inner track.
Vincento, by Include
Last 3 Beyers: 90-66-73
◗ Wheels back one week after winning a first-level allowance race over the inner track and earning a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 90. That race came with blinkers on for the first time.