Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher worked graded stakes winner Following Sea and multiple New York-bred stakes winner Americanrevolution in company this morning at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., in preparation for next Saturday's $750,000 Grade 1 Cigar Mile presented by NYRA Bets at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, N.Y.
Both horses completed their half-mile moves over the dirt training track rated fast in :49.21.
Owned by Spendthrift Farm, Following Sea rounded out the trifecta behind Aloha West and Dr. Schivel in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Sprint on November 6 at Del Mar. The son of second-crop sire Runhappy entered the Sprint from a solid score against older company in the G2 Vosburgh on October 9 at Belmont Park.
Americanrevolution, a CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm owned Constitution colt, enters the Cigar Mile off an 11 ¾-length romp against fellow Empire State-breds in the Empire Classic on October 30 at Belmont, where he produced a 108 Beyer Speed Figure.
“They both went well,” said Pletcher, a four-time winner of the Cigar Mile. “It was a good breeze for them both with a solid gallop out. They both seem to be happy and healthy, knock on wood.”
Since 2000, seven 3-year-olds have bested elders in the Cigar Mile, which is the final Grade 1 event on the NYRA circuit for the calendar year.
Pletcher also worked a handful of juveniles slated for stakes action next week with Mo Donegal and Overstep breezing a half-mile in company over the Belmont training track in :49.77. Both horses are pointing towards the $250,000 G2 Remsen – a nine-furlong test for juvenile colts which offers 10-4-2-1 points towards the 2022 Kentucky Derby.
Mo Donegal, a Donegal Racing owned son of Uncle Mo, stretched out from six furlongs to 1 1/16 miles to break his maiden at second asking on October 21 at Belmont. Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's New York-bred Overstep, a bay son of Into Mischief bred by Chester and Mary Broman, was a close second in the state-bred Sleepy Hollow on October 30 over a sloppy and sealed Belmont main track.
Pletcher previously captured the Remsen with Bluegrass Cat [2005] and Overanalyze [2012], both of whom contested in the following year's Kentucky Derby.
Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest registered a half-mile work in :49.79 in preparation for the $250,000 G2 Demoiselle, a nine-furlong test for juvenile fillies which offers 10-4-2-1 points toward the 2022 Kentucky Oaks.
Pletcher is a six-time winning trainer of the Demoiselle, including with subsequent Oaks victresses Ashado [2003] and Malathaat [2020].
On Friday, Pletcher saddled Repole Stable's Never Surprised to a flashy victory in the $150,000 Gio Ponti, which saw the Constitution bay garner a career-best 98 Beyer Speed Figure with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons. Never worse than second in a half dozen career starts, Never Surprised was previously second to Public Sector at graded stakes level in the G3 Saranac at Saratoga and the G2 Hill Prince at Belmont. Last year, he captured both his starts over the Aqueduct turf, including a wire-to-wire win over stakes-winner Hard Love in the Central Park.
Pletcher said the $100,000 Tropical Park Derby on December 26 at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., remains in play.
“That's a possibility. We'll see,” Pletcher said.
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