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Golden Pal Headlines Keeneland’s Friday Work Tab

Mrs. John Magnier, Derrick Smith, Michael Tabor and Westerberg's Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), undefeated in four prior starts at Keeneland, worked five furlongs in 1:03.80 as he completed his preparations toward defending his title in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint.

“Sometimes when you come up to a big event like the Breeders' Cup, you can get a little nervous and try to overdo things,” said trainer Wesley Ward. “But we are just sticking with the plan.”

Also working Friday for Ward was Stonestreet Stables's 'TDN Rising Star' Love Reigns (U S Navy Flag), who breezed five furlongs in 1:08 in anticipation of the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Joining that pair on the work tab Friday morning was the D.J. Stable's owned and Marke Casse-trained duo of GI Darley Alcibiades S. winner Wonder Wheel (Into Mischief) and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf pre-entrant Webslinger (Constitution). Each worked a half-mile, with Wonder Wheel going in :48.40 on the dirt and Webslinger covering the same distance on the grass in :50.40.

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out 'TDN Rising Star' Forte (Violence) and Lost Ark (Violence), both pre-entered in the GI FanDuel Breeders' Cup Juvenile S., to work in company–the pair went a half-mile in :48.80. Shortly after, Pletcher's two GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies entries, Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) and Atomically (Girvin), also went a half together in :49.80.

Manny Wah (Will Take Charge), trainer Wayne Catalano's GI Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint pre-entry, covered the same half-mile distance in :47.40.

Last seen taking down the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs Sept. 17, Curly Jack (Good Magic) had his first timed workout over the Keeneland track Friday, going a half-mile in :49.80.

“This is his last work going into the race,” said trainer Tom Amoss. “I know the big question on everyone's mind is the time between races and how he will respond to that. I am very comfortable with that. Today's work was designed to be an easy half-mile with a good gallop out. We got just that.”

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Todd Pletcher Joins the TDN Writers’ Room Podcast

Todd Pletcher, this week's Green Group Guest of the Week on the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland, has 12 Breeders' Cup wins, a total that figures to be on the rise next month. Pletcher said he will have at least eight horses running in the Breeders' Cup, a group headed by his dynamic duo of Nest (Curlin) and Malathaat (Curlin) in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff, Life Is Good (Into Mischief) in the GI Breeders' Cup Classic, Forte (Violence) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile, Annapolis (War Front) in the GI Breeders' Cup Mile and Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke) in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Last but certainly not least, Pletcher will send out Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro) in the GI Juvenile Turf and Happy Saver (Super Saver) in the Classic. He said that Lost Ark (Violence) is a possible starter in the Juvenile.

“At this point, it certainly could be,” Pletcher said when asked if this is the best Breeders' Cup lineup he has ever had. “We couldn't be more pleased with the group that we have.”

Pletcher is particularly strong in ths Distaff where he will likely send out the favorite and the second choice. Both Nest and Malathaat will come into the Breeders' Cup off of wins over the weekend. Nest won the GII Beldame S. and Malathaat won the GI Spinster. Who is better? Pletcher said he doesn't know.

“I truly don't know which one is better,” he said. “I think they're both spectacular fillies. They have so much in common, being by Curlin and out of A.P. Indy mares. They have terrific dispositions and are easy to train. The one difference that we know that maybe not everyone else can see is that Malathaat tends to run to her competition a little bit. She knows when she makes the lead and tends to idle when she does. Nest has that unique ability to cruise and then quicken, like we saw in Alabama, the Coaching Club and the other day in Beldame. She's head and head and then, boom, she's five in front. It will be interesting to see how the race unfolds, how much pace is in there. Malathaat will probably be in a position where she has to come after Nest at some point.”

Overshadowed by Flightline (Tapit), Life Is Good is somewhat flying under the radar when it comes to the Classic. That's partially because his Beyer number dipped to a 97 when he won the GI Woodward S.

“The Woodward was the only two-turn race of the day and it was run on a sloppy track that was changing throughout the day,” Pletcher said. “I honestly don't know if the Beyer figure was correct or not. If you look at ThoroGraph or Ragozin he ran much faster than that. He went the final three-eighths in 36 1/5, which is pretty hard to do no matter what the circumstances are. I think that Law Professor (Constitution) ran the best race of his life to be second and it was another 10 lengths back to Keepmeinmind (Laoban). He didn't win by 19 1/4 lengths like Flightline did, and I think that was the comparison everyone was looking for. But we are running back in five weeks so we wanted to be ready to run and ready to win but also be thoughtful that we had five weeks to go to the Classic.”

Pletcher is hoping that Life Is Good gets the kind of fast track in the Classic that he appears to prefer.

“Life is Good's weapon is his speed, his ability to go fast and keep going,” he said. “What I am looking for is to hopefully get him on a track for the first time in a while that is a really fast track, a true glib surface. The entire meet at Aqueduct the track has been very slow. Prior to that, Saratoga was a very deep, demanding track. In Dubai, we caught a really deep, demanding surface. I am hoping at Keeneland we get a speed-favoring track, one that, for the first time in while, will play to his strengths.”

Elsewhere on the show, panelists Randy Moss, Zoe Cadman and Bill Finley voiced their own opinion on the Nest-versus-Malathaat debate. When asked who is the horse to beat, there were two votes for Nest and one for Malathaat. The podcast, which is also sponsored by Coolmore, the KTOB, Lane's End, XBTV, Three Chimneys, West Point Thoroughbreds and Legacy Bloodstock, also included a deep dive into last week's major races and a look ahead at what's in the offing this weekend, including a shout-out to the jumpers who will vie Saturday at Far Hills in the GI Grand National.

Click here to listen to the podcast and click here to watch.

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Pletcher’s Breeders’ Cup Team Taking Shape

While life may provide only a handful of certainties, trainer Todd Pletcher showing up with a powerful battalion of runners on Breeders' Cup Day can be counted on to be one of them. The 2022 renewal of the World Championships, slated for Nov. 4-5 at Keeneland, is shaping up to be no different. Since the beginning of the month, the Hall of Famer has annexed seven Grade I or Grade II races, highlighted by Life Is Good (Into Mischief), winner of the Oct. 1 GI Woodward S. Undefeated in four domestic starts this season (he finished fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup at Meydan in March), the sparkling winner of the 2021 Dirt Mile was confirmed by Pletcher for a likely showdown with Flightline (Tapit) in next month's GI Breeders' Cup Classic. Also trying to give Pletcher his second Classic winner following Vino Rosso in 2019 is Happy Saver (Super Saver), who finished fourth in a competitive renewal of the GII Lukas Classic at Churchill Downs Oct. 1. Last season's GI Jockey Club Gold Cup winner hit the board in a trio of preceding starts in 2022, including a second to Flightline in the June 11 GI Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan H. and runner-up finish behind Life Is Good in the Aug. 6 GI Whitney S.

Also offering an imposing 1-2 punch on the Breeders' Cup Saturday card are Malathaat (Curlin) and Nest (Curlin), both targeting the GI Distaff. Victorious in last season's GI Kentucky Oaks, Central Bank Ashland S. and GI Alabama S., the Shadwell runner took last Sunday's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland, while her year-younger stablemate–victorious in this summer's Alabama and GI CCA Oaks, and runner-up in the GI Belmont S.–romped in the recent GII Beldame S. in New York.

Pletcher previously won the Distaff with eventual Hall of Famer Ashado (2004) and Stopchargingmaria in 2015.

Always dangerous with his juveniles, Pletcher will be represented by no less than a trio of 2-year-olds, including GI Hopefull S. and GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity victor Forte (Violence), targeting the GI TVG Juvenile, and GI Frizette S. heroine Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), slated to contest the GI NetJets Juvenile Fillies. Also set to reappear over the championship weekend is Major Dude (Bolt d'Oro), who punched his ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf with a victory in the Oct. 2 GII Pilgrim S.

Rounding out Team Pletcher's championship team is Annapolis (War Front). Victorious in the Manila S. at Belmont earlier this summer, the son of My Miss Sophia subsequently added a win in the Saranac S. at Saratoga before earning a Mile berth with a score in the GI Coolmore Turf Mile S. at Keeneland Oct. 8.

Already responsible for a dozen Breeders' Cup victories since earning his first win in 2004, Pletcher has finished third or better with 43 runners–registering a 28% in-the-money strike rate–while amassing $22.5 million in earnings.

Given the caliber of runners already engaged for this year's showcase next month, it appears likely that those figures will continue their upward trajectory.

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Dams of BC Contenders Among First FTKNOV Supplements

The dams of four Grade I winners, including a pair of 2-year-olds that will be among the favorites for the juvenile dirt races at the upcoming Breeders' Cup meeting at Keeneland, are among the initial supplemental entries to The November Sale to be held at Fasig-Tipton's Newtown Paddocks Sunday, Nov. 6.

Trophy Girl (Warrior's Reward) will be offered by Denali Stud as hip 302. The 9-year-old mare, selling in foal to dual Eclipse Award winner Essential Quality, is the dam of Blazing Sevens (Good Magic), third behind recent GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity S. hero Forte (Violence) in the GI Hopeful S. in September and most recently the impressive winner of the GI Champagne S. at Aqueduct to secure his spot in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Nov. 5.

Next into the ring will be hip 303, the Paramount Sales-consigned Special Treat (Candy Ride {Arg}). Descending from the Phipps female family of Grade I winners Imagining (Giant's Causeway), Rhythm (Mr. Prospector), Girolamo (A.P. Indy) and Super Saver (Maria's Mon), among others, the 10-year-old was recently represented by Chocolate Gelato (Practical Joke), who earned a spot in the field for the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies courtesy of her victory in the GI Frizette S. at the Big A. Special Treat is offered in foal to GI Met Mile winner Silver State (Hard Spun).

Speed Boat Beach (Bayern) earned a ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint when taking out the Oct. 2 Speakeasy S. at Santa Anita, and his dam Sophia Mia (Pioneerof the Nile) is cataloged as hip 312 to The November Sale. Consigned by Stuart Morris, agent for Caperlane Farm, the 7-year-old Sophia Mia is carrying to promising first-crop sire Army Mule.

Among the other supplements are:

Sheza Smoke Show (hip 300), the dam of GISW 'TDN Rising Star' Princess Noor (Not This Time) in foal to Tapit from the Taylor Made Sales draft;
Wait For Nairobi (hip 301), a half-sister to GISW Tell A Kelly pregnant to Constitution and offered by Hartwell Farm;
Byrama (GB) (hip 309), dam of GISW Known Agenda (Curlin) and carrying a full-sibling; Lane's End consigns;
Duchess of Sussex (hip 310), from the immediate family of GI Cotillion S. romper Society (Gun Runner) and in foal to GI Santa Anita Derby winner Rock Your World, son of Gun Runner's sire Candy Ride (Arg) from Baldwin Bloodstock

Also included in the first intake of supplemental entries are weanlings by Army Mule, Complexity and Kantharos.

The newest additions are available online and will also be included in the Equineline catalogue app. Print versions of these and any further supplemental entries will be available on the sales grounds at sale time.

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