Pletcher has Known Agenda in Sam Davis, Overtook in Withers

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher hopes the Nov. 8 maiden race at Aqueduct can produce a few more stakes winners this coming weekend.

Pletcher finished first and third in that race with Known Agenda and Overtook, respectively. The runner-up from that race, Greatest Honour, not only came back to win his maiden but also took Saturday’s Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

This Saturday, Known Agenda will run in the Grade 3, $250,000 Sam. F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, while Overtook, who came back to win a maiden race Dec. 20 at Aqueduct, runs in the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers Stakes at Aqueduct.

Now, Overtook did finish 21 lengths behind Greatest Honour in that 1 1/8-mile maiden race over a track that Pletcher felt was “super demanding.” The final time for that nine furlongs was 1:55.89.

Overtook, a son of Grade 1 winners Curlin and Got Lucky who brought $1 million at auction, turned back to win a one-turn-mile maiden race in which he rallied from 10 lengths back to win under a busy Eric Cancel.

“He can be a little bit of a lazy horse, I thought it was a good effort from him,” Pletcher said Sunday by phone from Florida. “He obviously got a good setup with that pace up in front, which he appreciated. He seems like he’s been training with a little more enthusiasm since then.”

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Pletcher also intends to run Donegal Bay in the Withers. Donegal Bay, a son of Uncle Mo, finished sixth in his debut sprinting at Saratoga. He came back four months later to win a one-turn-mile maiden race at Gulfstream Park by 4 1/4 lengths. Simovitch, the runner-up from that race, came back to win his next start, while American Law, third in that Dec. 12 race, came back to run a solid second next out.

“He was a little green first time out and showed dramatic improvement in his next start,” Pletcher said. “I think he’s a horse with tactical speed who seems like he wants to run long.”

Donegal Bay has been training at Pletcher’s winter base at Palm Beach Downs. Pletcher said Donegal Bay and a few other runners left Florida by van at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. Pletcher hoped they would arrive in New York before the brunt of an expected winter storm hit the Metropolitan area Monday.

As many as seven are expected for the Withers, a 1 1/8-mile race that offers its top four finishers qualifying points (10-4-2-1) toward the May 1 Kentucky Derby.

Others expected include Jerome 1-2 finishers Capo Kane and Eagle Orb; recent maiden winner Risk Taking; and Maryland-based Shackqueenking. Royal Number is possible.