Pletcher sends workers for Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks over Churchill surface
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Todd Pletcher has established himself in the trenches in Louisville, and Friday morning, the troops were at work. Pletcher, who will have a string at Churchill Downs throughout this upcoming meeting, sent out Wood Memorial winner Mo Donegal and Florida Derby runner-up Charge It out for their penultimate breezes for the Kentucky Derby, after earlier in the morning working a trio of candidates for the Kentucky Oaks.
Mo Donegal, coming off a victory in the Wood Memorial on April 9, worked in company with Grade 2-winning stablemate My Prankster, a shorter-distance specialist. Churchill Downs clockers got the duo going their half over a track officially rated fast, but still with plenty of moisture in it, in 50.20 seconds, and five furlongs in 1:03.20.
:: KENTUCKY DERBY 2022: Derby Watch, point standings, prep schedule, news, and more
While Pletcher said he was looking for an easier breeze from Mo Donegal, who raced 13 days ago, he was looking for "a good, solid breeze" from Charge It, who had raced a week earlier in the Florida Derby on April 2. The gray colt worked outside of the older graded stakes winner Cezanne, a recent transfer from the suspended Bob Baffert barn. Charge It was edging clear on the gallop-out as the pair were caught in 1:00.40.
"A real big gallop-out," Pletcher said. "Super happy with that."
Pletcher has a third Kentucky Derby hopeful in graded stakes-placed Pioneer of Medina, who currently sits on the bubble, 21st on the points list. However, that colt did not join his stablemates in breezing Friday morning, as Pletcher said the colt had bloodwork that was "a little off when he shipped in" from Palm Beach Downs in Florida, where he breezed April 15. Pioneer of Medina galloped on Friday morning, and Pletcher hopes to breeze him Sunday or Monday.
Earlier in the morning, Nest, winner of a major Kentucky Oaks prep in the Ashland Stakes on April 8 at Keeneland, returned to the work tab with a half-mile in 49.80, in company with Inventing. Stablemates Shahama, who will be making her first start for Pletcher off an unbeaten campaign in Dubai, and Goddess of Fire worked in company in 1:00.80. Similar to his colts, Pletcher said that while Nest's work was intended as "just a nice maintenance half," he was seeking stiffer moves from Shahama, who has not raced since winning the UAE Oaks on Feb. 18, and Goddess of Fire, who has not raced since finishing second in the Gulfstream Park Oaks on April 2.
"I was very pleased with all three of the fillies," he said.
While Pletcher is still finalizing his plans, he said Cezanne is possible for the Grade 1 Churchill Downs on the Kentucky Derby undercard, or could go to Belmont for the Grade 3 Westchester. My Prankster is likely for the Grade 2 Pat Day Mile on Derby Day, with the trainer likely to run a number of other stakes horses the first week of May from his barn, which has consolidated here from training locations throughout the East.
"We had [Derby and Oaks horses] in three different places, and we thought the easiest thing to do was to consolidate everything," he said. "It seemed like the easiest way was to get everybody under one roof. As I've said before, I think you can win these races or lose these races no matter how you do it."