Pletcher sending seven horses for Risen Star Day
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
You wouldn’t know from the entry list Saturday at Fair Grounds that trainer Todd Pletcher doesn’t have a string stabled at the track.
Pletcher has seven entrants on the 13-race Risen Star card, all of them shipping from his Palm Beach Downs base in South Florida.
“We had opportunities for some stakes and saw the chance to run some other horses,” said Pletcher, whose large contingent arrives early Thursday in New Orleans.
Pletcher doesn’t make a habit of overmatching his horses, yet none of his Fair Grounds entrants look like surefire win threats.
“I don’t see anything that’s going to be slash-5,” he said, referring to win odds. “Maybe a slash-2 here and there.”
Pletcher tries Pioneer of Medina in the featured Risen Star, the second time the colt has made this trip this winter following an allowance-race win on the Lecomte undercard Jan. 22. Pioneer of Medina led on a modest pace against far lesser company that day and needs considerable improvement to contend.
“I think he’ll appreciate the added distance. His preparation has been good, and he appears to be on the improve,” Pletcher said.
Goddess of Fire, who has been somewhat in and out, faces a stern challenge of her own in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes. For the Fair Grounds Stakes over nine furlongs on turf, which came up with a strong field, Pletcher has Largent, who was defeated as an odds-on favorite Jan. 8 in the Tropical Turf, a comeback start where he lacked full fitness, Pletcher said.
Lightly raced 4-year-old Untreated ran through two allowance conditions in New York late last year and steps up into the Grade 3 Mineshaft, an older-horse dirt route.
“He’s always trained like a high-quality horse,” Pletcher said.
Five-year-old English import Toro Strike, a Group 3 winner overseas, makes his North American debut in the Colonel Power, a 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint that’s probably too short for him. Pletcher said Al Shaqab racing sent the horse to America with longer turf-sprint races over the summer in mind.
Shinnecock Hills starts in race 8, a first-level, two-turn dirt allowance race for 3-year-olds that connections might see more as an audition for a race like the UAE Derby in Dubai than for the Louisiana Derby. Shinnecock Hills has raced only once, winning a seven-furlong Tampa Bay maiden after rallying strongly but waiting on rivals after making the lead. Somewhat quirky, though likely to improve around two turns, Shinnecock Hills wears blinkers with very large cups.
“He needs all he can get,” Pletcher said.
Pletcher’s day starts in race 4, a maiden sprint, with first-timer Momentous.
“He has a bit of natural speed. I expect him to break and put himself in the race,” Pletcher said.
◗ A competitive if limited field of nine goes in the last of nine races Thursday, a dirt sprint open to first-level allowance horses or $17,500 claimers that serves as the nominal feature.