Dean's List | Horse Racing Free Tips

Pletcher Duo Top Choices in Bay Shore

'TDN Rising Star' Wit (Practical Joke) launches his 3-year-old campaign against nine rivals in Saturday's GIII Bay Shore S.

After beginning his career with a pair of blowout victories despite awkward breaks, led by Saratoga's GIII Sanford S., the 2-1 Bay Shore morning-line favorite was second after stumbling at the start in the GI Hopeful S. Sept. 6 and a well-beaten third in the GI Champagne S. most recently Oct. 2.

“He's doing really well,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We got a good work into him Sunday. Hopefully, he'll break as well as he did in his work on Sunday. He was putting himself in a compromised position in his last couple of starts. Hopefully, he gets away cleanly with the field and not give himself too much to do. It's good to have him back.”

Pletcher will also saddle second-choice Dean's List (Speightstown). Perfect in his first two starts sprinting at Gulfstream this winter, the chestnut set the pace and reported home a well-beaten second behind unbeaten GII Wood Memorial S. morning-line favorite Morello (Classic Empire) going an additional furlong in the one-turn mile GIII Gotham S. Mar. 5.

“He's run well every time,” Pletcher said. “He has natural speed and I think seven furlongs is a good distance for him. I think cutting back from a mile that hopefully he'll be ready to run his best.”

Highly Respected (Dialed In), just a $65,000 KEESEP yearling, heads right into the deep end for trainer Chad Brown following a smart local debut win Feb. 26.

Doctor Jeff (Street Boss), winner of the grassy Atlantic Beach S. last November, is likely to scratch in favor of a turf allowance next week, trainer Rudy Rodriguez told the NYRA notes team.

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Morello Seeks Graded Glory in Gotham

Morello (Classic Empire) looks to take his perfect record to three-for-three and take his first steps down the GI Kentucky Derby trail in Aqueduct's GIII Gotham S. Saturday. A dominant debut winner going six panels at this oval Nov. 27, the $250,000 EASMAY purchase ran to the money with a five-length score in the Big A's Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6.

“Morello looks like he could potentially be something special,” Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds said. “I think it's just a perfect race set up for a horse like him, where you're going to take your time and see what he can do. Past the wire, it looks like he can get further out there. Seeing him calm in the winner's circle tells me he has more left in the tank.”

Todd Pletcher also saddles an unbeaten runner in this event in Dean's List (Speightstown). The chestnut drew off to a 5 1/2-length graduation despite some greeness in his Dec. 11 unveiling at Gulfstream and wired an optional claimer there last out Jan. 8. Both races were run over six furlongs. Pletcher also saddles Calumet Farm's Golden Code (Honor Code). Runner-up to Bold Journey (Hard Spun) in a state-bred event here Dec. 18, he crushed his fellow Empire-breds by 10 3/4 lengths next out in the mud at this oval Feb. 5.

“I like the way he's been training and he's put in some gallop outs that suggest he is going to be able to handle a stretch out in distance–that's what we're trying to find out here and I feel the one-turn mile is a good way to do it and gradually stretch him out a little bit,” Pletcher said of Dean's List.

Rockefeller (Medaglia d'Oro) returns to the Big Apple in search of another victory Saturday. Opening his account at Del Mar Aug. 28, the Bob Baffert pupil was fourth to champion stablemate Corniche (Quality Road) in the GI American Pharoah S. at Santa Anita Oct. 1. Wiring the GIII Nashua S. at Belmont last time he visited New York Nov. 7, the $750,000 KEESEP buy checked in second to stablemate Newgrange (Violence) in the GIII Sham S. in Arcadia Jan. 1.

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Speightstown’s Dean’s List Maintains Good Standing with Second Win

5th-Gulfstream, $55,400, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 1-8, 3yo, 6f, 1:09.34, ft, neck.
DEAN'S LIST (c, 3, Speightstown–Mildly Offensive {MSW, $285,826}, by Sharp Humor) was an easy last out winner on career debut, taking the Dec. 11 track-and-trip contest by 5 1/2 lengths. Hammered down to 1-5 favoritism for this sophomore bow while receiving first-time Lasix, the WinStar homebred was jostled a bit at the break, but recovered quickly to emerge from the center of the pack as the controlling speed. Rolling into the final turn off a brisk :22.13 opening quarter, it was a 'Dean' exacta at the top of the stretch as stakes-placed Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) loomed large to the outside. The pair locked horns for the stretch battle and Dean's List bravely fought off his challenger to win by a neck. Dean's List has an unnamed 2-year-old half-brother by Carpe Diem. His second dam is MGSW It's Personal (Personal Flag), who also produced MGSW It's No Joke (Distorted Humor). Sales history: $220,000 RNA Ylg '20 FTKSEL. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $64,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Saturday Insights: Dean’s List Makes 3yo Debut on Busy Gulfstream Card

4th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 6f, 1:27 p.m. ET
Several in this race carry nice price tags but IRON WORKS (Distorted Humor) on the outside catches the eye first as a $550,000 purchase from last year's OBS April sale (:10 1/5) for MyRacehorse and Spendthrift Farm. The runner is a half to one other winner from GISP Silverpocketsfull (Indian Charlie), herself out of MGSP Unforgotten (Northern Afleet) and a half to another graded stakes-placed horse. Particular (Classic Empire) one down in the gate is part of the first 3-year-old crop for his sire, and is a $300,000 2021 Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream graduate after breezing a quarter in :10 2/5. Awesome Aaron (Practical Joke), out of a stakes-winning half to a group stakes placed runner in Japan, hails from the same sale; having drilled a quarter in :10 1/5 before going to Bradley Thoroughbreds acting as agent for William H. Lawrence for $350,000. The half to Grade I winner Denman's Call (Northern Afleet) by the late Arrogate, $200,000 KEESEP and $100,000 OBS June graduate Anthracite, will break from midpack. TJCIS PPs

5th-GP, $61k, OC 75k/N1X, 3yo, 6f, 1:57 p.m. ET
After an eye-catching debut victory Dec. 11 at Gulfstream Park, WinStar Farm and Siena Farm's DEAN'S LIST (Speightstown) will make his 3-year-old debut against a closely matched allowance field. A winner by five lengths after contesting a speed duel through fractions of :21.70 and :44.36 half, he earned an 83 Beyer for the effort. The colt is out of Mildly Offensive (Sharp Humor), a dual stakes-winning half-sister to MGSW It's No Joke (Distorted Humor) and SW Keep Laughing (Distorted Humor). Dean's List adds Lasix here for Todd Pletcher. TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $60k, Msw, 3yo, 1m, 3:05 p.m. ET
Whisper Hill Farm homebred CHARGE IT (Tapit) will be representing the family of 2013 Broodmare of the Year, Take Charge Lady (Dehere) through his dam, I'll Take Charge (Indian Charlie). The second foal for the young broodmare, a $2.2 million purchase by Whisper Hill from the 2013 Keeneland September sale, he becomes her first to the races. His second dam needs little introduction, her line producing three sires as well as recent graded and listed stakes winners As Time Goes By (American Pharoah) and Courvoisier (Tapit). Next to that one in the gate is Touch Code (Honor Code), a half to champion 3-year-old West Coast (Flatter), whose first 2-year-olds will arrive this year. Their dam, champion 2-year-old and GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies victress Caressing, is also the second dam of three millionaires in Japan. He was a distant second behind 'TDN Rising Star' Emmanuel (More Than Ready) on debut in Hallandale Dec. 11. The field of 10 also includes Trending (Uncle Mo), a half-brother to $1.2 million 2017 Keeneland September yearling Almashriq (War Front). Out of GSW & GISP Theyskens' Theory (Bernardini), the early May colt claims Stevie Wonderboy (Stephen Got Even) and Somelikeithotbrown (Big Brown) down the page and will debut for Shug McGaughey as a homebred for Andrew Rosen. TJCIS PPs

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