Pletcher has major contenders for both Remsen, Demoiselle
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Whether it’s been his first two races or the way he gallops out at the end of a work, Mo Donegal has given trainer Todd Pletcher the impression of a horse who will relish more distance.
Saturday, Mo Donegal gets his first opportunity to run 1 1/8 miles and around two turns when he meets seven other 2-year-olds in the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct.
Pletcher will also have two contenders, Nest and Miss Interpret, in the nine-furlong Demoiselle for juvenile fillies, run immediately after the Remsen.
Mo Donegal, a son of Uncle Mo, broke slowly in his first two starts. On Sept. 30, he rallied from 11 lengths back to finish third, beaten 5 1/4 lengths in a 6 1/2-furlong race at Belmont Park. Three weeks later, he rallied wide and finished strongly to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden race by 1 1/2 lengths while continuing to gallop out strong.
“The best part of his race last time was the last eighth of a mile; same thing in his first start,” said Pletcher, a two-time Remsen winner. “He certainly gives you the impression that he’ll appreciate a mile and an eighth and two turns.”
From Mo Donegal’s maiden win, third-place finisher Life Is Great came back to win a maiden special weight by 6 3/4 lengths with an 81 Beyer. Predicted, sixth to Mo Donegal, was beaten a neck in his next start, an off-the-turf maiden special, with a career-best 76 Beyer.
Trainer Shug McGaughey, a four-time Remsen winner, sends out Judge Davis. A son of Distorted Humor, Judge Davis won a 1 1/16-mile race on Sept. 24 before running third to front-running winner Rockefeller in the Grade 3 Nashua.
McGaughey is equipping Judge Davis with blinkers for the first time in the Remsen.
“I feel like he’s probably going to be better around two turns and going a little bit farther,” McGaughey said. “I think he’s one who is going to be laying up there close and we’ll see what happens.”
Who Hoo That’s Me, a son of Keen Ice, comes off a third-place finish in the Sleepy Hollow going a mile against New York-breds on Oct. 30.
“That horse was a little compromised being on the outside on a muddy track. He made a move and flattened out a little bit, but then galloped out good and strong,” trainer Jorge Abreu said.
Zandon stretches out to 1 1/8 miles off a solid debut win going six furlongs for trainer Chad Brown.
Completing the field are Mr Jefferson, a Maryland-bred son of Constitution coming off an allowance win; Parx-based maiden winners Eloquist and Midnight Chrome; and the locally based maiden Fromanothamutha.
The top four finishers from the Remsen earn qualifying points (10-4-2-1) toward the Kentucky Derby.
Saturday's Aqueduct card will start with $729,611 pick six carryover after the bet went unhit last Sunday and Thursday.