Saratoga: Pletcher's prize 2-year-olds aiming for Grade 1 stakes

Trainer Todd Pletcher doesn’t usually like to run his horses back in three weeks – especially when raising them in class – but he got away with it with both Georgie’s Angel and Overdriven, who took the opening weekend graded stakes for 2-year-olds.

On Friday, Georgie’s Angel came back on 18 days’ rest to win the Grade 3 Schuylerville here by 1 1/2 lengths. She ran six furlongs in 1:10.68 and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 76. On Sunday, Pletcher won the Grade 2 Sanford with Overdriven, who was coming back 23 days after winning his maiden in which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 100. He won the Sanford by 3 1/2 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:10.60, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 93.

By running those horses back so quickly, Pletcher now has his preferred five weeks before running Georgie’s Angel in the Grade 1 Spinaway here on Sept. 4 and Overdriven in the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 5.

“When you’re looking at their overall schedule, the way it’s mapped out now with the Matron and Futurity having been moved and if you’re not looking to run on synthetic at Keeneland, you sort of have to adjust your schedule at some point and run back a little sooner and we felt like now was the time to do it,’’ Pletcher said. “Then if they’re good enough to develop, we can run [last] weekend and Labor Day weekend and it puts you in position to look at the Champagne and Frizette.’’

Overdriven’s victory was Pletcher’s fifth in the Sanford and 20th juvenile stakes win overall at Saratoga. He began training in 1996.