Sweet Loretta working up a storm for Acorn

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Todd Pletcher and owner Vinnie Viola already have one of the top 3-year-old males in the country in Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming. They also have one of the top 3-year-old fillies in training in Sweet Loretta, and she seems to be getting better all the time.

Sweet Loretta put in a visually impressive half-mile work in 49.23 seconds Friday over the Belmont Park training track in preparation for the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn here on June 10. The best part of the work was the gallop-out, when she went five furlongs in 1:02.14 and six furlongs in 1:14.32 while leaving her workmate, My Miss Tapit, behind.

It was the second straight week that Sweet Loretta had a good work with an extremely strong gallop-out.

“I think she’s improved this spring,” Pletcher said. “She was always a filly that trained pretty well and was able to win a lot of races as a 2-year-old, but she seems like she’s really come forward this year. I think the way she’s training now is an improvement over the way she trained as a 2-year-old.”

At 2, Sweet Loretta won her first three starts, including the Grade 3 Schuylerville and a dead-heat win with Pretty City Dancer in the Grade 1 Spinaway, both at Saratoga. She ended her juvenile campaign with an 11th-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, her only start around two turns.

Sweet Loretta began her 3-year-old season with a three-length victory in the Grade 3 Beaumont, a seven-furlong race at Keeneland on April 9. Following that race, there was brief discussion about running in the Kentucky Oaks.

“We felt like she’s a lightly framed filly,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, she’s got a big summer ahead of her – let’s take our time, let’s focus on the Acorn. I think it was the correct move. I think she’s thrived with the time off in between.”

Pletcher was less enamored with the work put in by My Miss Tapit and said he would talk with that filly’s owner, Matthis Stable, and discuss possibly passing on the Acorn and waiting for the Grade 2 Mother Goose on July 1.

The Acorn is expected to attract Kentucky Oaks winner Abel Tasman, Benner Island, Florida Fabulous, Nikki My Darling, Salty, Shane’s Girlfriend, Union Strike, and possibly Yellow Agate.