Tip Top Thomas not a Travers horse, Pletcher says
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While Tip Top Thomas showed he could be effective around two turns winning Saturday’s Grade 3 Indiana Derby at Horseshoe Indianapolis, trainer Todd Pletcher does not view him as a 1 1/4-mile horse, so he does not plan on pointing him to the Grade 1, $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23.
Pletcher said he wouldn’t be averse to trying 1 1/8 miles with Tip Top Thomas, and the Grade 1, $1 million Pennsylvania Derby on Sept. 20 could be a long-range goal. That race is at Parx Racing, which has the $200,000 Smarty Jones on Aug. 19 as a prep.
Tip Top Thomas won his debut at Saratoga going six furlongs and was second to Chancer McPatrick in the Grade 1 Champagne at Aqueduct. Noting that Tip Top Thomas was a bit headstrong, Pletcher stopped on him after the Champagne, hoping he would come back a more settled horse.
“The one thing he always has done was breeze like a horse that would run farther,” Pletcher said. “In his works he always finished well and galloped out strongly, so we just felt like if we could keep him relaxed and settled then he had the potential to stretch out. The key is if you can let him run his race without wrestling with him too much.”
Pletcher acknowledged that the Horseshoe Indianapolis main track favored speed on Saturday, but Tip Top Thomas did run a half-mile in 46.01 seconds and six furlongs in 1:09.33 before completing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.15. Tip Top Thomas, a son of Volatile owned by James Bakke and Gerald Isbister, earned a 95 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Gutsy race,” Pletcher said. “It seemed like the track was kind to speed, which we were happy to see, but still to go [23.43, 46.01 seconds] and fight off some challenges from more seasoned, experienced horses I thought it was a very good effort.”
Pletcher said Tip Top Thomas would ship back to Belmont Park, where he has been based since winning a one-mile allowance at Aqueduct on May 25.
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