Pletcher is hoping weatherman is wrong
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Last Friday, trainer Todd Pletcher was glad to see the rains come and force the Glens Falls Handicap to the dirt. That helped Irving's Baby cruise to a front-running victory.
This Friday, Pletcher hopes the forecast for showers proves incorrect.
That's because Pletcher plans to send out I'm All Yours in Friday's $75,000 West Point Handicap for New York-breds, but only if the race remains on the turf.
A field of 15 was entered for the West Point, scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on turf. Only 12 will be permitted to run and there are three also-eligibles. Perhaps the most interesting entry was Saratoga Sunrise, who won Wednesday's second race and was entered right back, probably in hopes of the race coming off the turf.
If the race remains on the turf, I'm All Yours looks like the one to beat. A 4-year-old gelding, I'm All Yours reeled off three straight wins in New York-bred company to end his 3-year-old season. Because turf races at Monmouth Park include restrictive clauses, Pletcher sent I'm All Yours to the Jersey Shore for the summer where he won an open-company second-level allowance race and then finished third, beaten a length, in the same condition six weeks later.
Pletcher said a combination of having post 10 and a moderate pace hurt I'm All Yours's chances in that July 21 race at Monmouth. He is hoping for a livelier pace on Friday. Jerry Bailey rides from post 7.
If the pace does not suit I'm All Yours, a potential upsetter is the 3-year-old Judge Spada, who has won his last two nine-furlong races against New York-breds. In his last race, Judge Spada tried open company and finished last in the Grade 3 Lexington Stakes at Belmont.
Trainer Linda Rice said Judge Spada did not have a good breeze prior to the Lexington and it was probably a mistake to run him that day. As a 3-year-old going against older horses, Judge Spada gets in with 112 pounds, five less than the quintet of highweights. However, he drew post 12.
"I think we're doing better and I expect him to perform better in this next one,'' Rice said.
If the race comes off the turf and is run over a wet track, Brave One may be the one to beat. Brave One has won his last two races over a wet track including an 8 1/2-length romp in a second-level allowance against state-breds in May at Belmont.
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