OZONE PARK, N.Y. – After watching the inaugural meeting between Mentee and Colloquial last Saturday at Aqueduct, it’s hard not to look forward to seeing the two talented juveniles square off again. And that’s a very distinct possibility considering the connections of both have the Grade 1 Hopeful circled as their major goal on the closing-day program at Saratoga. Mentee came into the duo’s first encounter the more heralded of the pair being the baby brother of reigning juvenile champion male Fierceness. He lived up to the hype as an odds-on favorite, opening a long lead at midstretch before just barely holding off Colloquial in the final stride of what turned out to be a track record-setting performance. For their debuts, both youngsters earned Beyer Speed Figures of 88, a huge number for 2-year-olds at this stage of the year. “He worked good coming into the race and we expected a big race from him,” said trainer Todd Pletcher, who trains both Fierceness and Mentee for owner Mike Repole. “I think he got a little bit complacent at the end, but that was a really nice horse that finished second to him.” John Velazquez, who rode Mentee, echoed Pletcher’s enthusiasm while noting a bit of a difference he sees, at least at this early stage, between the promising youngster and his big brother. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports “I think this colt is definitely quicker, he’s definitely faster than Fiercesness,” Velazquez said. “He was starting to lug in and get a little tired, a little lazy at the end. The key now is to see how we can rate, to nurse that speed to get him to go longer. But he’s still young. We’ve got time to work with him.” There is actually a chance Mentee and Colloquial could meet again as early as July 13 in the Grade 3 Sanford, a race Pletcher has picked out for Mentee’s stakes debut. George Weaver, trainer of Colloquial, has mentioned both the Sanford and a maiden race carded the same afternoon as the two most likely stepping-stones he’s considering prior to the Hopeful. Saturday was a big day for Pletcher on two fronts. Aside from Mentee’s exciting maiden win, he sent out Tuscan Sky and Bright Future to capture the Pegasus and Grade 3 Salvator Mile, respectively, later that afternoon at Monmouth Park. Tuscan Sky added blinkers for the Pegasus and survived an early five-horse speed duel racing nearest the rail before drawing away to a convincing 6 3/4-length decision over Domestic Product. The race was his first start since a disappointing seventh-place finish in the Wood Memorial. “I feel the blinkers got him refocused,” Pletcher said. “He kind of lost his way a little bit. It was a very strange race, and I think we benefited from the inside post, but I thought he ran really well.” Bright Future, winner of the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup last summer at Saratoga, snatched victory from the jaws of what appeared certain defeat after suddenly plummeting back to sixth place on the final turn in the Salvator Mile. He ultimately reasserted himself and finished full of run along the rail to prove a popular winner in his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. “I thought it was interesting the way he dropped back on the turn the way he did, then all of a sudden re-rallied,” Pletcher admitted. “But it was a good comeback.” Pletcher said everything was in play, most notably the Haskell and Jim Dandy, for Tuscan Sky, while Bright Future is being pointed to the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 3. He also said the Haskell remains next on the schedule for Fierceness, who was back on the work tab for the first time in three weeks when breezing four furlongs in 50.80 seconds last Friday over the Oklahoma training track. “He worked really well, he’s doing good,” Pletcher said. “We’ll bring him back and work him again Friday. The Haskell is still our goal at the moment.” Dame Cinco stretching out Friday’s feature is a one-mile allowance/optional claimer for fillies and mares on the main track that lured a field of seven to vie for a $102,000 purse. Dame Cinco, the only member of the field coming off a victory in her last start, looms the likely favorite for trainer Rick Dutrow despite the fact she will be stretching back out to a mile for the first time since finishing a well-beaten seventh and last here in late November. :: Subscribe to the DRF Post Time Email Newsletter: Get the news you need to play today's races!  A bit of an inconsistent sort of late, Dame Cinco posted a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure when beaten a neck by the graded stakes winner Leave No Trace going 6 1/2 furlongs on March 15. On May 3, she rebounded from a bit of a disappointing effort in April to defeat slightly softer allowance company going 6 1/2 furlongs in game fashion, registering her first victory in 15 months. The stakes-placed Signal From Noise also figures a key player if ready for a top effort while returning from a 10-month layoff for trainer Chad Brown. The remainder of the field includes the Maryland-bred stakes winner Malibu Moonshine; the Linda Rice-trained duo of nine-time winner Pretti Xtreme and Amanda’s Folly; and the outsiders Toned Up and Into Happiness. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.