Pletcher will wheel back maiden winner Courting in Remsen
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OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Courting, the $5 million sale-topper at the Keeneland 2024 yearling sale who won his maiden at Aqueduct on Sunday, will be pointed to the Grade 2, $250,000 Remsen Stakes here on Dec. 6, trainer Todd Pletcher said Wednesday.
While it represents a fairly quick turn around of 27 days, Pletcher has been wanting to get Courting around two turns and the Remsen is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns. After Courting finished fourth in a Sept. 27 maiden race going a one-turn mile, Pletcher had hoped to run him two turns in his next start, but that distance for a maiden race here did not fill so he ran him back at a mile.
“He gives me the impression of a horse that’s wanting to go two turns,” said Pletcher, who trains the son of Grade 1 winners Curlin and Cavorting for Whisper Hill Farm, Stonestreet Stables, and Windancer Farm.
Facing only three rivals Sunday, Courting, under John Velaquez, wound up racing on the lead. In deep stretch, he spurted clear to win by 2 1/2 lengths and galloped out strong around the clubhouse turn. Courting covered the mile in 1:36.03 and earned a 75 Beyer Speed Figure. Courting is a full brother to the Grade 1-winning mare Clairiere.
“I think Johnny felt like he was loafing a little bit, he shook the reins at him, you could see him re-engage pretty quickly and jump up underneath Johnny,” Pletcher said. “We weren’t necessarily looking to have an extended gallop-out, Johnny just felt like he needed him to zero in a little bit.”
Courting will give Pletcher a second starter in the Remsen, a race that offers Kentucky Derby qualifying points. Pletcher also has Renegade, disqualified out of an Oct. 17 maiden win, for the Remsen.
Meanwhile, Pletcher is pointing With a Kiss, the 2-year-old daughter of Grade 1 winners Gun Runner and Cathryn Sophia, to the Grade 2, $250,000 Demoiselle on the same card. With a Kiss, on Oct. 27, won a six-furlong maiden race by four lengths, earning a 69 Beyer.
“I know it’s stretching out a bit off one sprint, but she’s always given us the impression she wants two turns also,” Pletcher said. “I though it was an impressive debut.”
Another horse who made an impressive debut for Pletcher recently was Life and Times, a 4-year-old gelding who won a one-mile maiden race by 5 3/4 lengths on Nov. 1, earning a 94 Beyer. The son of Justify, who was entered in a June 7 maiden race at Saratoga but had to scratch due to a quarter crack, is likely to run in an allowance race in his next start.
“It’s been a while getting him there, he’s always shown a ton of talent, we just had to stop on him a few times,” Pletcher said.
On Wednesday, Pletcher won a maiden race at Aqueduct with the 3-year-old filly, Metfardeh, a daughter of Into Mischief who brought $2.3 million, the third highest price at the 2023 Keeneland September sale. She is owned by Shadwell Stable.
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