Pletcher works three Derby horses at Palm Beach Downs

DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Trainer Todd Pletcher had a plane to catch. So the action started early, before dawn, at the Palm Beach Downs training center on Saturday where Pletcher worked three of his Kentucky Derby candidates -- Materiality, Stanford, and Itsaknockout -- shortly after which he boarded a private jet which got him to Lexington in time to see one of his leading Derby hopefuls, Carpe Diem, breeze at Keeneland later that morning.

As they did the previous week, Materiality and Stanford went in company, going five furlongs this morning in 1:00.52, their final quarter in 23.57. As was the case a week ago, Materiality went well in hand and was the stronger of the pair at the wire, perhaps even more so than the previous week, before galloping out six furlongs in 1:13.91.

“I thought it was another very good work,” Pletcher said of the undefeated Materiality. “A nice, steady, aggressive five-eighths. He seemed to be well in hand throughout. The horse continues to train really well. You have to respect how difficult the [Kentucky Derby] is, but at the same time you have an undefeated horse who seems to be training super.”

Pletcher did give the caveat that horses working nearest the rail, as Materiality was this morning, appear to have an advantage over the Palm Beach Downs surface.

“Generally horses working near the inside here have a little bit of an edge,” said Pletcher. “The track may just be a little looser out near the middle. You see horse’s kind of struggle around the turn a little on the outside.”

Pletcher said, with that in mind, he was also pleased with Stanford’s performance on Saturday.

“I thought he held in there, it was a good work, the gallop-out was pretty good,” said Pletcher. “I think he’s still on track to go to Churchill and we’ll see how he performs there next week.”

Pletcher still awaits a final decision from jockey John Velazquez as to whether he’ll ride Materiality or Carpe Diem, both his regular mounts, in the Derby. Velazquez breezed Carpe Diem at Keeneland on Saturday.

“I think we’ll all know where we stand by Monday,” said Pletcher.

Itsaknockout worked a half-mile in company with Competitive Edge, as he had the previous Saturday, although this time was on the outside in the set. The duo went four furlongs in 48.17, completing their final quarter in 23.09 with Competitive Edge going easiest of the pair at the wire before galloping out several lengths clear, in 1:00.89, into the turn.

“I thought it was an okay work,” Pletcher said of Itsaknockout. “He was working with an undefeated horse and he was on the outside today. We’ll just get him to Churchill and see how he works next week up there.”

Pletcher also sent out several other important workers on Saturday at Palm Beach Downs including another of his unbeaten 3-year-olds, Blofeld, who went in company with the older handicap star Palace Malice. Working nearest the rail, Blofeld held off Palace Malice under less pressure to the wire after five furlongs in 1:00.65 before galloping out best in 1:13.56. Blofeld has not started since registering an easy victory over Derby-bound El Kabeir in the Grade 2 Nashua last fall at Aqueduct.

Palace Malice, winner of the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap but idle since his disappointing sixth-place finish in the Whitney, will launch his 2015 campaign in the Westchester at Belmont Park on May 2. Edgar Prado has picked up the mount in Velazquez’s absence that afternoon. “I was a little disappointed in Palace Malice’s gallop-out but again, outside versus inside, I don’t know,” said Pletcher “But the work itself was fine.”

Dame Dorothy was the best and quickest of the three fillies Pletcher breezed on Saturday, going five furlongs in 59.22 while well within herself throughout before galloping out six furlongs in 1:12.84. She’ll make her next start in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs. She followed Sweet Whiskey, who finished very strong completing a half-mile in 48.70, and Isabella Sings, a half-mile in 49.72.