Life At Ten tunes up for meeting with Rachel

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Despite a power outage that left him unable to bring his horses to the main track early, and heavy rains that left the Oklahoma training track sloppy, trainer Todd Pletcher still worked a handful of his major stakes horses Sunday morning.

Life At Ten, who is targeting next Sunday’s Grade 1 Personal Ensign Invitational here and a meeting with Rachel Alexandra, worked five furlongs in 1:02.82 in company with the 2-year-old Stopspendingmaria over the Oklahoma training track.

Life At Ten, with John Velazquez up, worked on the inside of Stopspendingmaria and broke off about three-quarters of a length in front. She went in fractions of 13.89 seconds, 26.78, 38.69, and got her last quarter in 24.13 seconds while finishing three-quarters of a length in front of her workmate. Life At Ten galloped out six furlongs in 1:15.97 and seven-eighths in 1:30.82.

“I thought that was the best work she’s had up here,” Pletcher said. “I like the way she finished and the way she galloped out.”

Life At Ten will bring a six-race winning streak into the Personal Ensign, one that includes a Grade 1 victory in the Ogden Phipps and a Grade 2 score in the Delaware Handicap.

Discreetly Mine, the Amsterdam winner who is running in Saturday’s Grade 1 King’s Bishop, worked an easy half-mile in 52.32 seconds. He went his first quarter in 26.74 seconds and his final quarter in 25.58. Last week, he worked four furlongs in 51.88 seconds. Discreetly Mine won the Amsterdam by 8 3/4 lengths, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 111.

“He’s a little bit of a tricky workhorse,” Pletcher said. “As you can see by his work tab, he’ll either go a little bit slow or way too fast like he did before the Amsterdam. Coming off that race with a horse that doesn’t carry a lot of weight, is very fit, we’re just trying to keep him happy in between races. I think two easy halves is all he really needed.”

Quality Road, who finished second to Blame as the favorite in the Grade 1 Whitney Handicap, worked four furlongs in 51.87 seconds under exercise rider Patti Barry in preparation for the Grade 1 Woodward on Sept. 4. Pletcher said he worked Quality Road on Sunday to keep him on his regular training schedule. Quality Road will work back next weekend.

Malibu Prayer, who won the Grade 1 Ruffian here on Aug. 1, worked four furlongs in 49.96 seconds, getting her last quarter in 24.76 seconds under Barry. Malibu Prayer would run next in either the Grade 1 Ballerina here on Saturday or the Grade 2 Molly Pitcher at Monmouth Park on Sunday.