Tag: Agate Road

Pletcher Group Leads Keeneland Workers; White Abarrio Back On Track

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a total of 12 horses, all of whom are pre-entered in next weekend's Breeders' Cup races, for half-mile works at Keeneland Friday morning in advance of their Saturday departure to Santa Anita.

GII Pilgrim S. winner Agate Road (Quality Road) (Juvenile Turf) worked in company with Haul (Army Mule) in :49 flat (32/63). GI Darley Alcibiades winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) (NetJets Juvenile Filles) went in company with GII Chandelier runner-up Scalable (Speightstown) (Juvenile Fillies) in :49.20 (37/63).

About Candied, Pletcher said, “She worked very well. She worked on the inside of Scalable. Finished up nicely, galloped out good. She was a little late on her lead change, which has kind of been a thing with her. But she did get it the second time when Luis (Saez) asked for it. And once she did, she leveled off nicely, finished up strong and galloped out great.”

As for Pletcher's older horses, GII Suburban S. winner Charge It (Tapit) (Big Ass Fans Dirt Mile) worked in :48.60 (17/63) while GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner Bright Future (Curlin) (Classic or Dirt Mile) worked in company with Dreamlike (Gun Runner) (Dirt Mile or Classic) in :48.40 (9/63).

'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) (FanDuel Juvenile) went in company with Noted (Cairo Prince) (Juvenile) in :48.60 (17/63).

 

Life Talk (Gun Runner) (Juvenile Fillies) was in company with GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner Locked (Gun Runner) (Juvenile) in :48 flat (6/63).

“Locked just does everything so easily and effortlessly,” Pletcher said. “He's a colt that we had high expectations for when he came in. He's a very quiet, laid-back colt. Unassuming, until we got serious with him, and then it was like, wow, this is a really nice colt. I thought his debut was sneaky impressive. I thought his mile maiden win at Saratoga was the most impressive 2-year-old performance of the meet. Then to come here and win (the Claiborne Breeders' Futurity) from an outside draw and a wide trip the entire way, I thought that was a very determined effort on his part. He's done everything well since then. We've been blessed with some very good 2-year-olds, and I think that he's right there with them.”

Life's an Audible (Audible) (Juvenile Fillies Turf) ran in company with Appellate (Constitution) in :48.80 (25/63).

GI Coolmore Turf Mile winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time) (Turf or Mile) breezed in company with Be You (Curlin) in :48.80 (25/63).

“Up to the Mark has had two good breezes now since his win in the (Coolmore) Turf Mile,” said Pletcher. “I thought we got what we wanted in terms of some good conditioning. Strong gallop out, seems to be doing well. We're going to continue to lean towards going in the Turf.”

At Santa Anita Friday, White Abarrio (Race Day) worked five furlongs in :59.80 (3/39). According to private clocker Gary Young, the 4-year-old went the final quarter mile in :22.80.

 

Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., White Abarrio was originally slated to work this past Monday but that drill was postponed. Connections attributed the delay to an issue with White Abarrio's shoes. Noted blacksmith Ian McKinlay flew in Monday and re-shod White Abarrio. He galloped Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday prior to Friday's drill.

“He worked great. He cooled out great. We're thrilled,” Chip Dutrow said.

Working for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies was Chatalas (Gun Runner) for trainer Mark Glatt. Winner of the GII Chandelier S. Oct. 7, the filly worked five furlongs 1:01.00 (15/39).

Trainer Peter Eurton worked a trio of 2-year-old Breeders' Cup contenders: Flattery (Flatter), Stay Hot (Summer Front) and Dark Vintage (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}). Flattery worked four furlongs on the training track in :48 flat (2/12). Stay Hot worked four furlongs on the training track in a bullet :47.40 (1/12). Dark Vintage worked four furlongs on the main track in :47.40 seconds (2/37).

Trainer John Sadler worked the Speakeasy winner, Slider (Jimmy Creed), who went five furlongs in :59.80 (3/39).

Working towards the Juvenile Turf was Endlessly (Oscar Performance) for trainer Michael McCarthy. He drilled four furlongs in :47.80 (8/37).

Rounding out Friday's Breeders' Cup workers were Elm Drive (Mohaymen) and Where's My Ring (Twirling Candy), who is on the also-eligible list for the Juvenile Fillies Turf. Elm Drive, pre-entered in the $1 million Filly & Mare Sprint, worked five furlongs on the training track in 1:03.20 (5/6) for trainer Phil D'Amato.

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Pletcher Breezes Breeders’ Cup Dozen at Keeneland

Trainer Todd Pletcher breezed a remarkable 12 of his intended Breeders' Cup starters at Keeneland on Thursday morning over the main track. 

Heading the dozen was GI Breeders' Cup Classic hopeful Bright Future (Curlin), who arrived in Kentucky this week from Saratoga. He worked five furlongs in 1:01.40. Also working five furlongs for a possible Breeders' Cup start was Charge It (Tapit), who covered the distance in 1:01.20. 

“We originally were going to work all of our Saturday (Nov. 4) horses tomorrow but with rain in the forecast for tomorrow, we moved it up a day,” Pletcher said. “It was a good morning, and I was pleased with all the works. They did what we wanted them to.” 

Among the dozen workers were three Grade I winners from Keeneland's Fall Stars Weekend. 

Coolmore Turf Mile winner Up to the Mark (Not This Time) breezed a half-mile in :50.20 in company with 2022 Coolmore Turf Mile winner Annapolis (War Front); Darley Alcibiades winner Candied (Candy Ride {Arg}) worked a half-mile in :49; and Claiborne Breeders' Futurity winner and `TDN Rising Star' Locked (Gun Runner) worked a half-mile in :48.20. 

The remainder of the Pletcher brigade each worked half-miles: `TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road) (:49.60), `TDN Rising Star' Fierceness (City of Light) (:48.40), Life Talk (Gun Runner) (:49), Life's an Audible (Audible) (:50), Noted  (Cairo Prince) (:49.60) and Scalable (Speightstown) (:49.60). 

Pletcher said he planned to give his runners one more work at Keeneland next Thursday or Friday before shipping to Santa Anita on Oct. 28. 

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‘TDN Rising Star’ Agate Road Earns BC Berth In Pilgrim

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's AGATE ROAD (c, 2, Quality Road–Yellow Agate, by Gemologist) saved his best for last, as he found his best stride inside the final furlong and edged away to take Wednesday's GII Pilgrim S., earning an all-expenses-paid trip to Santa Anita for the Nov. 3 GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf in the process. Favored at 2-1 off a Saratoga 'TDN Rising Star'-worthy maiden victory that really had to be seen to be believed, the $650,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase was content to sit one from the tail as the outposted Spirit Prince (Cairo Prince)–a latest third in the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31–crossed and cleared all the inside traffic to lead through an opening quarter in :23.51. Quietly ridden down the back by Irad Ortiz, Jr., Agate Road was asked for some acceleration as the field hit the turn, but was consigned to an overland run and lost some ground. Spun wide into the stretch, Agate Road began to zero in on the front-runners with less than a furlong to travel and did his best work through the wire. The final time for the 8 1/2 furlongs was 1:42.83. Fulmineo (Bolt d'Oro) knifed through late for second ahead of the dead-heating Liam's Journey (Liam's Map) and Spirit Prince. Sales history: $650,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. O-Repole Stable & St Elias Stable; B-CHC Inc (KY); T-Todd Pletcher.

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Rescheduled Breeders’ Cup ‘Win and You’re In’ Races Take To BAQ Turf

After significant rainfall cancelled the entire Friday and Saturday Belmont at the Big A cards, a pair of Breeders' Cup 'Win and You're In' Challenge races were moved from Sunday to Wednesday in order to allow everyone to dry out.

The GII Miss Grillo S., a pathway to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, brings together a cast of 12. Only Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott's Gala Brand (Violence) has graded experience. The chestnut filly delivered in her second start when she faced males and won the GIII With Anticipation S. Aug. 31 at Saratoga over next-out GI bet365 Summer S. hero Carson's Run (Cupid).

From the inside gates, Appellate (Constitution) from the Todd Pletcher barn and Hard to Justify (Justify) from Chad Brown's shedrow will tussle once again. The latter won on debut by a head over the former July 23 at Saratoga, but the Pletcher trainee made a start since Sept. 3 upstate and gained some valuable grass experience as a runner-up once again.

Meanwhile, Gainesway homebred Memorialize (Karakontie {Jpn}) for Graham Motion is looking to build on her own maiden victory, this one at second-asking, when the chestnut filly won confidently by three lengths Aug. 20 at Saratoga.

The boys get their chance later on the BAQ card when the GII Pilgrim S. goes off with GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf implications at stake. Leading the way is 'TDN Rising Star' Agate Road (Quality Road), who absolutely rolled from seemingly nowhere Sept. 2 at Saratoga to break his maiden by a neck at second asking.

“His last breeze was very good. He's training well and came out of his race in good order,” said the colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher. “He got a very wide trip, which maybe turned out to be a blessing with all that was going on at the eighth pole. Turning for home, I thought he had way too much to do, and he really kicked in late. He's had a little bit of experience, so hopefully that pays dividends.”

A pair of runners who might fly under the radar are Liam's Journey (Liam's Map) for Mike Maker and Fulmineo (Bolt d'Oro) for Arnaud Delacour.

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