ajaaweed | Horse Racing Free Tips

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher saddled Con Lima and Sainthood for formidable efforts in Saturday's opening legs of the Turf Triple series with the former a front-running second in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks and the latter a close fifth in the Grade 1 Belmont Derby at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Joseph Graffeo, Eric Nikolaus Del Toro, and Troy Johnson's Con Lima, who entered the Belmont Oaks from a prominent win in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Wonder Again, set a smart pace under Flavien Prat in the 10-furlong test over good going. The Commissioner filly opened up a 1 1/2-length lead at the stretch call and fought bravely to the wire, falling just a half-length short of the rallying Santa Barbara.

Pletcher said Con Lima will likely progress to the 1 3/16-mile $700,000 Grade 3 Saratoga Oaks Invitational at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“She ran her heart out. It was a big effort from her,” said Pletcher. “She handled the distance fine and ran well enough to give her another shot.”

CHC and WinStar Farm's Sainthood, a dark bay son of Mshawish, enjoyed a ground-saving trip under Joel Rosario in his turf debut in the G1 Belmont Derby.

Sitting just off a moderate pace, Sainthood progressed along the inside down the lane, but failed to make up the needed ground en route to a fifth-place finish, just 2 1/4-lengths back of the victorious Bolshoi Ballet.

“He ran well. He had a good trip but just couldn't quite polish it off,” said Pletcher. “I thought he ran a respectable race.”

Pletcher said Sainthood, who graduated on the Fair Grounds dirt in February and won the Grade 3 Jeff Ruby Steaks on the Turfway Park synthetic in March, could turn back in the one-mile $200,000 Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame on August 6 at the Spa.

“He's versatile enough and proven he can run well on three different surfaces. It leaves us with a lot of different options,” said Pletcher. “We'll see how he bounces out of it, but something like the Hall of Fame might make sense.”

WinStar Farm's Country Grammer, last-out winner of the Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup in May at Santa Anita Park, breezed a half-mile in :49.22 in company with Grade 3 Peter Pan-winner Promise Keeper on the dirt training track on Sunday.

Country Grammer is working towards a start in the nine-furlong $1 million Grade 1 Whitney on August 7 at the Spa, which offers a “Win and You're In” berth to the Breeders' Cup Classic at Del Mar Nov. 6.

“He's an honest workhorse but the more we're around him it seems he's really good at just clicking off those 12s,” said Pletcher. “We'll put a couple more good works into him and have him ready for the Whitney.”

Pletcher said Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm, and Rock Ridge Racing's Promise Keeper, a sophomore son of Curlin, will target either the $600,000 Grade 2 Jim Dandy on July 31 at Saratoga or the Grade 3 West Virginia Derby on August 7 at Mountaineer.

Shadwell Stable's Malathaat worked a half-mile in :49.96 on the dirt training track in company with Dynamic One on Saturday in preparation for the $500,000 Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, a nine-furlong test for sophomore fillies on July 24 at Saratoga

“She went great. I'm really pleased with the way she's doing,” said Pletcher. “She worked well with a big, strong gallop out. We'll probably have one breeze at Saratoga and she'll be ready to go.”

Undefeated in five starts, Malathaat won the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks last out on April 30 on the heels of a head score in the Grade 1 Ashland on April 3 at Keeneland.

Out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia, Malathaat has worked consistently with Dynamic One, runner-up in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April, who finished 18th last out in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

“They've been workmates coming off similar schedules from the Oaks and Derby. They make good mates. She doesn't have any trouble holding her own,” said Pletcher, who noted that Dynamic One is probable for the $120,000 Curlin on July 30 at Saratoga.

Pletcher said the connections had contemplated starting Malathaat against the boys in the 12-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes in June, but that the filly has flourished with time between starts.

“We were strongly considering the Belmont, but my biggest concern was we had the two races back-to-back with the Ashland and the Oaks,” said Pletcher. “I was afraid a gut-wrenching mile and a half could set her back and it's paid off. She's gained some weight and trained very well. Hopefully, it sets her up for a good Saratoga. She's pretty special. We're blessed to have her. You don't come across many like her.”

Pletcher said if all goes well in the Coaching Club American Oaks, a start in the $600,000 Grade 1 Alabama on August 21 is likely.

Pletcher will saddle a pair of Shadwell Stable homebreds in Ajaaweed and Arham in a nine-furlong allowance event on the main track on Thursday, Opening Day of the summer meet at Saratoga Race Course.

Slated for Race 7 on the 10-race card, Ajaaweed will exit post 12 under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, while Arham will leave from post 4 under Luis Saez.

The multiple graded stakes-placed Ajaaweed worked a bullet half-mile over the Belmont turf in June, but Pletcher said he preferred to re-group on the main track after the colt's off-the-board effort last out in the Grade 2 Brooklyn.

“It didn't seem to me like he relished the turf even though the time seemed good,” said Pletcher. “He was kind of all-in I thought, so we'll give him another shot on the dirt and see how it goes. Dropping back into an allowance race should help him. I'm not crazy about the 12 post, but we'll do the best we can with it.”

Arham, a 4-year-old son of Union Rags, matched a career-best 91 Beyer last out with a runner-up effort in a 1 1/16-mile first-level allowance on June 19 at Belmont. He added blinkers for a bullet half-mile breeze in :48.62 on July 8 on the Belmont dirt training track.

“The horse is doing really well,” said Pletcher. “His last race was good and we're adding blinkers because he seemed a little unfocused. I thought he worked well with the blinkers and I expect him to take a step forward.”

The post Pletcher Plans Saratoga Starts For Con Lima, Malathaat appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Trainer Todd Pletcher will be well-represented with three contenders in Saturday's Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets. But the Hall of Fame conditioner will also send out a strong contingent in another 1 1/2-mile graded stakes contest on the day, with Ajaaweed and Moretti forming a potent one-two punch in the Grade 2, $400,000 Brooklyn Invitational presented by Northwell Health for 4-year-olds and up.

Carded as Race 4 on the 13-race slate, the 134th running of the Brooklyn is part of a sensational card on Saturday at Belmont Park that includes nine graded stakes and eight Grade 1 events, making it the only Grade 2 race on the Breeders' Cup-quality program.

Pletcher, who won last year's Brooklyn edition with Marconi, has a strong chance for repeat success with Shadwell Stable's homebred Ajaaweed, who improved suddenly last out in the Flat Out on April 30 over Big Sandy.

Ajaaweed showed potential when starting his career in former trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's barn as a 2-year-old in 2019 before he abruptly fell off the Kentucky Derby Trail in early 2020.

The Curlin colt was given an 11-month respite, returning in January at Gulfstream Park for Pletcher. His first back featured an eighth-place finish, beaten 26 ½ lengths in a one-mile optional claimer, on January 31. His fortunes didn't improve much in his next start at Aqueduct Racetrack, where he was again beaten double-digit lengths on March 14. But everything changed once he was stretched out to 1 3/8 miles in the Flat Out, as he closed strongly in the stretch to nearly overtake Musical Heart before settling for second.

“He gave us that impression he would do well with some added distance,” Pletcher said of Ajaaweed, who earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure for his Flat Out performance. “He just keeps galloping. He was coming on strong there in the end, he just got up there a little too late. Hopefully, we identified what he really wants to do.”

With Ajaaweed being a potential up-and-comer at marathon distances, the other half of the Pletcher's duo, Moretti, brings much-needed experience to the table for owners Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbreds.

The 5-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro hasn't run since August 2 of last year, when he won the 1 3/4-mile Birdstone at Saratoga Race Course, though his proficiency at longer distances is well-documented. Coincidentally, it was actually in the 2020 edition of the Flat Out that Moretti first showed an affinity for marathons. He won the 1 3/8-mile race by 5 ¼ lengths and followed with a second-place finish in the Grade 2, 1 1/4-mile Suburban before his year came to a premature end in the Birdstone.

“I think this is what he does best,” Pletcher said. “It's a tall order to run a mile and a half off the long layoff. I hope we have him fit enough. I like the way he breezed on Friday; he galloped out nice and strong so hopefully that's got him nice and cranked up.”

Ajaaweed and Moretti will break from posts 7 and 6, respectively, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez and Irad Ortiz, Jr. set to ride.

The winner of the Flat Out, Musical Heart, will also be back for more in the Brooklyn. A $62,500 claim by trainer Rob Atras and owners Michael Dubb and Michael Caruso on November 13 of last year, Musical Heart had been knocking on the door in stakes company for his new connections until his breakthrough finally came in the Flat Out, which he won in wire-to-wire fashion by three-quarters of a length with a 99 Beyer. The 6-year-old son of Maclean's Music will break from post 5 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.

The Brooklyn additionally attracted a few out-of-town shippers to spice up an eclectic lineup of older dirt horses. Chief among these runners is the 4-year-old Tizamagician, who hails from California and enters the race off a dominant, nine-length win in the Grade 3 Tokyo City on April 18 at Santa Anita Park.

A Tiznow colt trained by Hall of Famer Richard Mandella for MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm, Tizamagician has really come to hand in 2021, with a win in an optional claimer to begin the year and runner-up finish in the Grade 2 San Pasqual to go along with his coming-out party in the 1 ½-mile Tokyo City. He will be ridden by Flavien Prat from post 8.

Joining Tizamagician from the West Coast is veteran marathoner Campaign, who's had a down 2021 thus far but is a two-time graded stakes-winner at the distance and missed by less than a length in this race in 2019. Trained by John Sadler for Woodford Racing, Campaign will break from post 3 with Luis Saez in the irons as he looks to bounce back following a distant fourth-place finish in an optional claimer at Oaklawn Park on April 11.

“He's coming into it well,” Sadler said. “We're adding the blinkers for this race. He's trained well with them on at Santa Anita. Two years ago, he was right there and just got beat, so we're going back. The big wide turns and the distance should suit him.”

Ubiquitous horseman Robertino Diodoro will be represented by Lone Rock, another shipper that appears well meant in this spot. Reminiscent of Musical Heart, Lone Rock was claimed by Diodoro and owner Flying P Stable for $40,000 last fall at Churchill Downs, and the 6-year-old gelding has been terrific in 2021, particularly at 12 furlongs.

Three starts ago, Lone Rock just missed in the 1 1/2-mile Temperence Hill at Oaklawn Park, and he's since rattled off two victories at this distance, including an open-length score last out in the Marathon Overnight on April 27 at Churchill Downs. Lone Rock will again be ridden by Ramon Vazquez, who has been aboard for his last two wins, and the duo will depart from the outermost post 9.

Rounding out the field for the Brooklyn are Ry's the Guy and You're to Blame, second and fourth, respectively, last out in the Marathon Overnight, and Rocketry, a salty older marathoner for trainer Jimmy Jerkens who finished third in the Flat Out in his most recent outing.

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