Pletcher has strong contenders in Wednesday allowance races

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Trainer Todd Pletcher’s weekend included sending out the first two finishers in Saturday’s $100,000 Via Borghese Stakes, Always Shopping and Cap de Creus, as well as Zaajel’s impressive debut victory on Sunday. The perennial training champion at the Gulfstream winter meet, Pletcher also wields a strong hand in the two allowance events on Wednesday’s card, with Abilene Trail among the key contenders in the eighth race, for fillies and mares going one mile on the main track, and Shamrocket the potential favorite facing nine other Florida-breds in the ninth race, carded at one mile on the grass.

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Abilene Trail was fractious in the gate then set a contested pace before tiring to finish far back under similar conditions in her last start. She returned from a 14-month layoff to win her maiden going seven furlongs 26 days earlier at Gulfstream Park West.

Recoded, a popular item at the claim box at the end of the Churchill Downs meet and currently sporting a two-race winning streak, could prove the one to beat in the eighth race.

Shamrocket, third in the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs while with trainer Christophe Clement in his last start, is one of only two 3-year-olds in the ninth race. The field includes stakes winner Kroy and the well-traveled My Point Exactly, who is back with trainer Carlos David while in search of career win No. 14.