Pletcher using Manila Stakes as means to an end for Annapolis
ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher still plans to stretch Annapolis out in distance this summer, he’s just not going to do it in next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Belmont Derby Invitational.
Rather than point to that 1 1/4-mile race, Pletcher opted to enter Annapolis in Monday’s $100,000 Manila Stakes at Belmont Park, a one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds that Pletcher hopes leads to a start in the Grade 1, $1 million Saratoga Derby at 1 3/16 miles on Aug. 13.
“We have another option at Saratoga with a big purse, Grade 1, so rather than jump into the deep end prematurely, another race under his belt hopefully would set up him to go a mile and three-sixteenths,” Pletcher said.
Annapolis, who won the Grade 2 Pilgrim here last fall, was forced to miss the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf due to a hind ankle chip. Annapolis didn’t make his 3-year-old debut until the Penn Mile on June 3, finishing second to 83-1 shot Wow Whata Summer. Pletcher felt Annapolis was compromised by a soft turf course.
“It was beyond soft,” Pletcher said. “To his credit, he kept trying. Tough track to accelerate on.”
Annapolis breaks from post 2 on Monday under Irad Ortiz Jr., who is back from suspension.
Pletcher also runs Chanceux, a front-running type who comes off a third to Big Invasion in the Paradise Creek here May 29.
Trainers Brad Cox and Rusty Arnold were planning to run Ready to Purrform and Double Clutch, respectively, in Saturday’s American Derby at Churchill Downs. That race was transferred to the dirt because the course in Kentucky was deemed unusable, and both horses are now running in the Manila.
Ready to Purrform, who won the Laurel Futurity last year, is coming off a neck defeat to Joe when second in the James Murphy at Pimlico on Preakness Day.
“I thought he ran good,” Cox said. “The winner may have got a little bit better trip, but overall I thought it was a really good effort off the layoff. He’s had plenty of time to recover from it.”
Rusty Arnold has been trying to find a race for Double Clutch since he won his maiden impressively at Keeneland in April. Arnold had to scratch him out of one race when the horse had a temperature, and two races were taken off the turf due to the condition of the course.
“He’s been ready to run for two months,” Arnold said. “I am really high on him. I could have run him in an a-other-than [against older], but I decided to run him against straight 3-year-olds and see where he fit. I think he has a lot of ability. If he lacks anything, it’s experience.”
Smokin’ T, trained by Shug McGaughey, was a fast-closing second to Kitodan in the Audubon Stakes on June 4 at Churchill.
Completing the field are Coinage, winner of the Palm Beach Stakes at Gulfstream in March; Boston Tea Party, a sharp debut winner going six furlongs here in May; and Ohtwoohthreefive, fourth in the Tale of the Cat Stakes at Monmouth last Sunday.
◗ The Manila was scheduled to be the co-feature on Monday’s July 4th card along with the $150,000 Grand Couturier for older horses at 1 1/2 miles on turf. That race drew only four horses and was not carded. It was brought back as an extra race for Friday’s card.