Pletcher looms large in Not Surprising, Martha Washington

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Todd Pletcher will pack his bags – including his trophy for capturing the training title at the recently concluded spring meet – and ship the remainder of his south Florida-based stable back north later this week. But before he leaves, there are a couple of more stakes races to take care of, namely Tuesday’s $100,000 Not Surprising and $100,000 Martha Washington, which highlight the July 4 holiday program at Gulfstream Park.

Pletcher dominated the spring meet from start to finish, winning 28 races, including three stakes, while finishing first or second with 47 of his 77 starters. He had so much success here this spring that he plans to keep a string stabled in south Florida year-round beginning in September.

“This spring was an experiment, and it seemed to work out well,” said Pletcher. “We wanted to see how the races filled and how the weather was. We were able to get a lot of 2-year-olds started down there and prepare others for their races up here. The staff did a great job, and now the plan is to keep a division at Palm Beach Downs year-round once we return after Labor Day.”

The Not Surprising and its filly counterpart, the Martha Washington, are both restricted to 3-year-olds and cover a mile on turf. And Pletcher will have two top contenders in both races.

In the Not Surprising, Bronson figures to go postward as the favorite, with stablemate Squadron one of his chief rivals among a field of nine. Bronson won the English Channel Stakes here on May 6, rallying from midpack to a 1 1/2-length victory. Squadron finished fourth, less than two lengths behind his uncoupled mate, after prompting the pace throughout.

Bronson, a half-brother to two graded-stakes winners, has made one start since the English Channel, shipping to Penn National, where he finished sixth, beaten four lengths by Frostmourne, in the Grade 2 Penn Mile.

“Both horses have run well down there, and it just seemed like a logical spot for the two of them,” Pletcher said of Tuesday’s race. “Bronson just ran out of real estate in the Penn Mile, but I thought he ran well.”

General McGooby finished second in the English Channel after setting the pace to midstretch, and he is rematched with Bronson in the Not Surprising. He returned six weeks after the English Channel against older horses in a Florida-bred allowance and could do no better than fifth, although he did get a personal-best 79 Beyer Speed Figure.

Basha makes his turf debut in the Not Surprising. Basha opened his career with a pair of impressive sprint wins and was third when stretching out to a mile in an overnight stakes earlier this season. He’s been idle since a sixth-place finish in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby on March 11. Basha’s dam, Lemonette, was a two-time graded-stakes winner on turf, although her only foal to make the races, That’s It Imleaving, was winless in 10 tries on grass.

The Pletcher-trained Adorable Miss will be favored to add the Martha Washington to a victory in the Honey Ryder Stakes on May 6. The daughter of Kitten’s Joy suffered her only defeat in three starts when she finished third as the 8-5 favorite in the Penn Oaks.

“She got to the leaders and kind of hung,” Pletcher said. “She didn’t have much excuse.”

Adorable Miss will be joined in the starting gate by stablemate Flying Harmony, who exits a maiden special weight victory in her second start after being carried wide and missing by a head in her debut.

Bitacora figures to provide the Pletcher duo with their stiffest challenge, coming off a second-place finish against older rivals in the Ginger Punch on June 17. Bitacora is the only three-time winner in the Martha Washington field, which also includes Fair Hill shipper Art Institute and the turf debut of stakes winner Dude Fantasy.