Keen Ice among nine Breeders' Cup pre-entrants for Pletcher

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher said on Monday that he pre-entered nine in the Breeders’ Cup, including Keen Ice, who will start in the Classic on Nov. 5 at Santa Anita.

Keen Ice, who beat American Pharoah in the 2015 Travers, is coming off a third-place finish in an allowance race at Belmont on Oct. 7, his first start since running eighth behind California Chrome in the Dubai World Cup.

Keen Ice on Sunday worked six furlongs in 1:12.84 here in company with Tommy Macho. Keen Ice, with Javier Castellano up, went his opening three furlongs in 37.08 seconds and his last three-eighths in 35.76. He galloped out seven furlongs in 1:26.20 and a mile in 1:39.80.

“I thought the further he went, the stronger he got,” Pletcher said. “Javier had to reach up and really pull him up at the end. I think he got what we were hoping he’d get out of it.”

As of Monday, no rider had been confirmed on Keen Ice. Castellano, who rode him in the Travers, is also the regular rider of Shaman Ghost, the Grade 1 Woodward winner who also is pointing to the BC Classic.

Also working Sunday for Pletcher was Curalina, who went a terrific five furlongs in 59.32 seconds for either the Distaff or Filly and Mare Sprint, and Syndergaard, who went five furlongs in 1:00.79 for the Juvenile.

Pletcher’s other BC pre-entrants are Theory (Juvenile); Made You Look and J. S. Choice (Juvenile Turf); Sweet Loretta (Juvenile Fillies); Photo Call (Mile or Filly and Mare Turf); and Ectot (Turf).

On Monday, Ectot worked five furlongs in 1:02 over the Belmont turf course.

“Good, steady work,”Pletcher said. “He was moving well.”