Pletcher's juveniles lift him to top of trainer standings
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – That Todd Pletcher was tied atop the trainer standings through the first three weeks of the Saratoga meet can be largely attributed to the early success he’s had with his 2-year-old class.
As part of his 11 for 38 start to the meet, Pletcher has gone 5 for 16 with his juvenile crop, including victories over three consecutive days last week by the fillies Time to Dream on turf on July 25 and Tommy Jo on dirt last Saturday, and the colt Tapit’s Legacy in an off-the-turf affair on Sunday. On July 19, Pletcher won a six-furlong maiden race with the colt Emphasis and on July 13 an off-the-turf race with the colt Malus.
Time to Dream, a daughter of Not This Time, wasn’t necessarily viewed as a turf filly, but Pletcher liked her one breeze over that surface enough to debut her over it. In her win, going one mile, she had to overcome some traffic issues, but came with a solid run to win by 2 1/4 lengths.
“She got into a little traffic on the far turn, had to tap on the brakes two times, and still kicked on and finished pretty strongly,” Pletcher said. “It was what we were hoping for.”
Pletcher said the $150,000 P.G. Johnson on Aug. 27 is her likely next.
Tommy Jo, a daughter of Into Mischief, is likely Grade 1 Spinaway-bound on Aug. 30 after her most impressive 3 3/4-length victory in a six-furlong maiden race in which she earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.
“She got bumped around a little bit at the start. Once she recovered from that it was clear sailing, ran well,” Pletcher said. “She’s a high-quality filly.”
Emphasis, a son of Yaupon, won his debut on July 19 by one length, earning a 71 Beyer Speed Figure. He is likely headed to the Hopeful on Sept. 1, Pletcher said.
Tapit’s Legacy could be considered for that as well after he won an off-the-turf maiden race going seven furlongs by five lengths, earning a 77 Beyer Speed Figure.
Malus, another son of Into Mischief, was Pletcher’s first juvenile winner of the meet, winning an off-the-turf sprint by 3 3/4 lengths.
Pletcher has more babies to unveil this weekend, including Ted Noffey, a $650,000 son of Into Mischief in Saturday’s first race, and Sunrise and Blame Jerry, a pair of colts slated to run on turf in Saturday’s second, and the fillies Street Clear and Germantown in Saturday’s sixth.
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