Trio of Pletcher Team Derby Hopes Breeze at Palm Meadows

 

Contact: Travis Stone
(954) 457-6331
travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com

 

Trio of Pletcher Team Derby Hopes Breeze at Palm Meadows

 

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL (Sun., April, 11 2010) – The countdown is on to the 136th edition of the Kentucky Derby (G1) at Churchill Downs on Saturday, May 1 and trainer Todd Pletcher had three colts from his all-star team working a half-mile Sunday morning at Palm Meadows – E. Paul Robsham’s Discreetly Mine (51), Twin Creek Racing Stable’s Mission Impazible (49 1/5) and WinStar Farm’s Rule (49 4/5).

All three have solid credentials and appear assured of a berth in the Derby with sufficient Graded stakes earnings, but Pletcher also trains the favorite in Zayat Stable’s Eskendereya, brilliant winner of the Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 20 and Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct on Apr. 3.

A son of Giant’s Causeway, Eskendereya has won all three of his starts this year, scoring in a one-mile allowance over the Gulfstream track on Jan. 7 before the Fountain of Youth with regular rider John Velazquez for all three. Eskendereya was returned to Palm Meadows after the Wood and tentative plans call for him to work next Sunday (Apr. 18) there before shipping to Kentucky on Apr. 20.

While the three Pletcher-trained colts had relatively easy breezes Sunday morning it was Glencrest Stable’s 3-year-old filly Devil May Care that earned the ‘bullet’ for a half-mile in 47 3/5 as the trainer keeps her on edge for her date in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill on Fri., Apr. 29. The daughter of Malibu Moon was a 2 ¾ lengths winner of the $200,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes (G2) last out at Gulfstream on Mar. 20.

Pletcher had three other 3-year-old Derby hopefuls that raced Saturday with mixed results. WinStar Farm’s Super Saver ran a big race to finish second by a neck in the $1 million Arkansas Derby (G1) at Oaklawn Park, but Wertheimer et Frere’s Interactif and Dogwood Stable’s Aikenite checked in fourth and eighth, respectively, in the $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland.

 

Gulfstream to Keeneland Sweep in Graded Stakes on Blue Grass Day

Seven of the nine 3-year-olds that went to the post for Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass Stakes (G1) at Keeneland trained in South Florida this winter and raced at Gulfstream Park, and swept the first four positions in the Kentucky Derby tune-up, although not in the order most anticipated.

Tom and Jack Conway’s Stately Victor was the longest price on the board at 40-to-1 for trainer Mike Maker after finishing fifth, eighth and fifth in three ‘a other than’ allowance tries at Gulfstream. The son of Ghostzapper was a $250,000 Adena Springs 2-year-old purchase and drew off to score by 4 ¾ lengths over Keeneland’s Polytrack surface.

Stately Victor was followed home in order by Donegal Racing’s Paddy O’Prado (second), Donald Dizney’s First Dude (third) and Wertheimer et Frere’s Interactif (fourth), the latter going off a lukewarm 3-to-1 favorite for trainer Todd Pletcher.

The two other Graded stakes on Saturday’s Blue Grass Day program at Keeneland also were swept by horses that trained in South Florida over the winter and ran at Gulfstream. Owner-breeder-trainer Bart Evans’ 5-year-old mare Wasted Tears went wire-to-wire to capture the $200,000 Jenny Wiley Stakes (G2) in a mild upset over Augustin Stable’s 2008 Eclipse champion Forever Together.

One race earlier in the $250,000 Commonwealth Stakes (G2), R A Hill Stable and Vic Fontana’s 4-year-old Together Indy posted a mild upset for trainer George Weaver after finishing eighth last out in the Appleton Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream on Florida Derby Day. R. Larry Johnson’s 5-year-old gelding Congressional Page and Sequoia Racing’s 4-year-old Imperial Council finished two-three coming out of Gulfstream races.

 

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Travis Stone

Media Manager, Gulfstream Park

Phone: (954) 457-6331

E-Mail: travis.stone@gulfstreampark.com

 

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