Todd Pletcher's Belmont-based assistant Byron Hughes reported that the trainer's Kentucky Derby (G1) and Kentucky Oaks (G1) aspirants exited their Saturday stakes efforts at Aqueduct Racetrack in good shape.
In the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, Pletcher was represented by Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable-owned maidens Dreamlike [third] and Crupi [ninth] as well as Whisper Hill Farm's Classic Catch [fifth]. Pletcher also ran the duo of multiple graded stakes-placed Gambling Girl [2nd] and Frosty O Toole [6th] in the Grade 3 Gazelle.
“Everybody came back in good shape this morning. They were bright and alert this morning and were jogging up sound,” Hughes said.
In rounding out the trifecta under jockey Jose Ortiz, Dreamlike earned 30 points towards the Kentucky Derby, putting him at No. 30 on the leaderboard. Classic Catch earned the minimum allotment of 10 points.
Dreamlike, by Gun Runner, entered the Wood Memorial off a pair of runner-up efforts against maiden company at Gulfstream Park.
“It was big. He was still green,” Hughes commented. “Jose said he was still waiting on horses there down the stretch, so hopefully he'll put it all together and really take it to the next level. I think the blinkers helped, but he's still a little green so hopefully one day he'll figure it out.”
Gambling Girl, owned by Repole Stable, is currently 11th on the Kentucky Oaks Leaderboard with 61 total points, which would provide her with a spot in the 14-horse maximum event. She earned 40 points from her runner-up finish in the Gazelle and earned qualifying points when fourth in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park as well as with respective second- and third-place finishes in Aqueduct's Busanda and Grade 2 Demoiselle. She is by Dialed In and was bred in the New York by Gallagher's Stud.
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