Pletcher full of Surprises in juvenile stakes
The Sleepy Hollow and Maid of the Mist, a pair of $250,000 stakes for juvenile New York-breds at one mile Saturday, are literally full of surprises.
Three of the four runners entered by Todd Pletcher are Repole Stable homebreds by freshman sire Giant Surprise. Sudden Surprise, who looks like the best of the trio, seeks his fourth straight win. He will vie for favoritism with Get Jets in the Sleepy Hollow, which is race 2 and the first leg of the early pick four. Post time is set for 12:55 p.m. Eastern.
Pletcher also entered Inside Straight in the Sleepy Hollow, which drew a field of nine colts and geldings.
In the Maid of the Mist, race 9, the Pletcher duo of Surprise Cameo (12-1 morning line) and Super Surprise (8-1) might offer value in a full field of a dozen fillies. Post time is 4:46.
Tom Morley and Rudy Rodriguez also will saddle horses in both races. Morley has Celtic Chaos in the Sleepy Hollow and Firestar in the Maid of the Mist, while Rodriguez sends out Uno Emayo in the Sleepy Hollow and Frosty Margarita in the Maid of the Mist.
Like his sire, who won his first and only start at Saratoga, Sudden Surprise won his debut by open lengths at the Spa. He since has posted wire-to-wire victories in the Funny Cide and Bertram F. Bongard stakes and will try to stretch his speed an additional furlong in the Sleepy Hollow.
“He was very professional in his debut, and he came back and ran another big race [in the Funny Cide],” said Pletcher. “I thought he ran very well [in the Bongard]. He got a good start and seemed like he responded every time he was challenged.”
Get Jets won his six-furlong debut in August, then closed late to finish a neck behind Sudden Surprise in the seven-furlong Bongard. Trainer Tony Dutrow said the added distance of the Sleepy Hollow might work in favor of the Scat Daddy colt.
“I ran him three-quarters of a mile [at Saratoga], but he wants farther,” said Dutrow. “He’s got pedigree.”
Pegged as the 2-1 morning-line choice in the Maid of the Mist is She’s All Ready, who was a front-running winner of her debut and the Seeking the Ante Stakes in the span of three weeks at Saratoga before setting the pace and settling for third as the favorite in the Grade 1 Frizette.
“She’s a really nice filly,” said trainer Jim Ryerson. “Mentally, all you need her to do is relax. We’ll see how far she can go … She’s built like a sprinter.”
Sleepy Hollow (race 2)
Key contenders
Get Jets (Last 2 Beyers: 81-83)
After breaking from the rail in each of his first two starts, he moves to post 4.
He was purchased for $300,000 at the OBS April sale.
Sudden Surprise (Last 3 Beyers: 82-81-89)
Other than the start call, he has been in front at every call in each of his three victories.
He is the only entrant to have won anything more than a maiden race.
Fish Trappe Road (Last 3 Beyers: 79-53-81)
Beaten by Sudden Surprise and Get Jets at Saratoga, he was a lengthy maiden winner in the mud on opening day of the Belmont fall meet.
Has had four workouts since his maiden win, including a bullet five furlongs in 59 seconds.
Maid of the Mist (race 9)
Key contenders
Melodic (Last 2 Beyers: 64-59)
* Has yet to bust any stopwatches, but it’s hard to argue with the results so far – a debut win at 19-1, followed by a victory in the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes.
“She’s a beautiful filly, and right from the get-go, she acted like she was going to be okay,” said trainer Leah Gyarmati.
She’s All Ready (Last 3 Beyers: 69-78-74)
* She came out of her third-place finish in the Frizette to breeze a bullet five furlongs on the training track Sunday.
Frosty Margarita (Last 3 Beyers: 58-69-56)
* She was a second-out maiden winner and subsequently went well when finishing second to Melodic in the Gimma.