Pletcher seeking third rider for Belmont contenders

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher still has decisions to make – most notably who will ride his horses in the June 6 Belmont Stakes – but on Friday, he seemed pretty certain that he would run three horses against Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner American Pharoah in the “Test of the Champion” at Belmont Park.

Carpe Diem, Madefromlucky – who went together – and Materiality all put in workouts Friday over Belmont Park’s main track. While there were positives and negatives to all three works, Pletcher accentuated the positive and said he intends to run all three. Pletcher has not decided who will ride the trio, saying only that John Velazquez – who for a second straight week worked both Carpe Diem and Materiality – and Javier Castellano are holding the race for him. Pletcher remains in search of a third rider.

The Pletcher trio and Kentucky Derby fourth-place finisher Frosted, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin, all worked over Belmont’s main track on a gorgeous late-spring morning in New York.

Carpe Diem and Madefromlucky were on the track shortly after 6 a.m., and despite comfortable temperatures, both displayed a noticeable amount of neck sweat. Carpe Diem worked outside of Madefromlucky – last week, it was the other way around – and in the stretch appeared to drift out slightly while pulling away from Madefromlucky. Carpe Diem went a half-mile in 47.70 seconds, while Madefromlucky went in 47.90.

Pletcher acknowledged that Carpe Diem getting out concerned him “a little bit” but added that Velazquez “knew they were going a little bit quick, so he left him out in the 3 path and seemed pretty comfortable there. Once he was there, he kept a pretty straight course.”

Pletcher doesn’t have an excuse for Carpe Diem’s 10th-place finish in the Kentucky Derby. He’s hoping that the horse simply didn’t handle the Churchill Downs track. Pletcher said Carpe Diem’s last two works “indicate to me he’s handling the racetrack.”

Last week, after Madefromlucky worked five furlongs in 59.81 seconds, Pletcher called it the most impressive work he’s seen since he began training the colt. On Friday, Madefromlucky did not show that same zeal, especially late in the move.

“This work I don’t think was as impressive from him as it was last week,” Pletcher said. “Like a lot of horses, they tend to work better when they’re on the outside than the inside. I thought it was fine. The gallop-out part of it was good. He’s a different kind of horse than Carpe Diem. Carpe Diem has the ability to really quicken, and Madefromlucky is a grinder and keeps going and going the same speed. In a mile-and-a-half situation, that should suit him well.”

After riding him to a pair of Grade 1 victories, Velazquez rode Carpe Diem in the Derby, though he had ridden Materiality to three victories in as many starts at Gulfstream Park during the winter. Castellano rode Materiality in the Derby, finishing sixth after a slow start.

For the second straight week, Velazquez worked Materiality, this time inside of workmate Stanford. Materiality was outfinished by a head at the wire in a half-mile move in 47.78 seconds. Materiality came back on Stanford during the gallop-out, which was timed in 1:00.25 for five furlongs.

“Stanford is a very good work horse,” Pletcher said. “Johnny thought he had a lot of horse [and said] Materiality was sort of idling. Anytime he asked him to respond, he did. If he didn’t, he was content to just sit quietly. He took him back off of Stanford a touch and got him back up in there. He said every time he opened his hands, he was responsive.”

Also working Friday at Belmont was Frosted, who went a solid half-mile in 47.87 seconds in company with Tamarkuz, a winner of four consecutive races who is pointing to the Metropolitan Handicap.

“They both worked so well last week together, we just went ahead and worked them both again this week,” McLaughlin said. “They went a little quick early, but everything’s good, just a maintenance work. Hope we get there in good shape, and so far, so good.”