Stopchargingmaria, Competitive Edge ready to go again

ELMONT, N.Y. – Stopchargingmaria, the winner of the Allaire duPont Distaff at Pimlico in her last start, missed the Ogden Phipps on June 6 due to a temperature. Trainer Todd Pletcher said she would be pointed to the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga on Aug. 2.

Several of Pletcher’s horses came up with a temperature, including Blofeld and Protonico. Pletcher said he’s not really sure who else was affected, although some of his horses ran inexplicably poor races, such as Competitive Edge, who finished last as the favorite in the Grade 2 Woody Stephens.

Pletcher said blood work taken on Competitive Edge was normal, and “he never showed a temperature.”

“Seemed a little flat, but he’s a quiet horse anyway,” Pletcher said. “Hard to gauge.”

Pletcher did not have a definite race picked out for Competitive Edge but did not rule out the Grade 3, $500,000 Dwyer on July 4.

After the first two races on Wednesday’s card, Pletcher was 29 for 78 at the meet for a 37.1 percent winning rate.

“It’s hard to say that you had a horrible virus going through the barn having that kind of success,” Pletcher said. “I do believe some of these horses have been affected by it sub-clinically. We’ve had some horses run inexplicably bad races.”

Included among that group were Madefromlucky and Materiality, who ran sixth and eighth in the Belmont Stakes. Pletcher said Materiality is likely to run next in the Jim Dandy, while Madefromlucky could go in that race or the West Virginia Derby the same day.

Meanwhile, Carpe Diem, the Blue Grass Stakes winner who was held out of the Belmont, is at WinStar Farm in training. He is possible for the Haskell Invitational or Jim Dandy, Pletcher said.