Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher enjoyed a great day on and off the track Saturday, celebrating his 54th birthday with a win as Shadwell Stables' Zaajel captured the $250,000 Grade 2 Mother Goose, a one-turn 1 1/16-mile test for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park in Elmont, Ny.
Assistant Byron Hughes saddled the winner, who garnered a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, while Pletcher spent the day with family.
“It was my daughter Hannah's high school graduation, so it made for quite a nice day,” said Pletcher.
Sent to post at odds of 18-1 as the longest shot on the board in a compact field of five, Zaajel tracked the pace of previously undefeated 4-5 mutuel favorite Always Carina before making the lead at the stretch call and powering home a 1 1/4-length winner.
The 3-year-old Street Sense bay made her first two starts at Gulfstream Park, including a score in the seven-furlong Grade 3 Forward Gal Stakes on January 30.
Following a troubled sixth in the 1 1/16-mile Fair Grounds Oaks, Zaajel failed to fire when seventh in her turf debut in the Grade 2 Edgewood Stakes on April 30 at Churchill Downs.
Pletcher said he was pleased to see Zaajel return to form, who now gives the conditioner a strong one-two punch in the sophomore filly division along with Malathaat, her undefeated Shadwell stablemate, who won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on April 30.
“Zaajel started off very well and won her first two, including the Forward Gal, and we kind of got sidetracked when we went to the Fair Grounds,” said Pletcher. “She didn't break well that day and misbehaved in the gate and got in a little bit of trouble in the first turn.
“We were trying to keep her and Malathaat separated, so that's why we gave her an experiment on the turf,” Pletcher continued. “We thought she breezed well on it, but she didn't run the way we hoped. We had our minds on the Mother Goose for a while and she trained accordingly. We had maybe a little more confidence in her than the betting public did.”
Pletcher said with Malathaat on target for the $500,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on July 24 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, Ny., Zaajel could point to the seven-furlong $500,000 Grade 1 Longines Test Stakes on August 7.
“I'll talk to Rick Nicholls at Shadwell and come up with a plan,” said Pletcher. “She's versatile enough that she's won graded stakes at a mile and a sixteenth and seven furlongs. I don't anticipate we'd want to run her in the Coaching Club with Malathaat on target for that, so we could look at something like the Test or even try two turns out of town. We'll play it by year. We won't rush back off of that effort.”
Pletcher said the relationship with Shadwell has proven to be a fruitful one.
“We've been blessed. It's terrific to have two high-quality fillies like that,” said Pletcher.
The post Pletcher’s Birthday One To Remember With Zaajel’s Mother Goose Win appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
