Pletcher-Trained Belmont Stakes Trio Show Strong Gallop Outs In Friday Breezes

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent a trio of Belmont Stakes contenders in Bourbonic, Known Agenda and Overtook to breeze on Big Sandy on Friday morning at Belmont Park.

Headlined by the 153rd running of the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 5, this year's three-day Belmont Stakes Racing Festival kicks off on Thursday, June 3 and will include 17 stakes races in total, with eight Grade 1 races to be contested on Belmont Stakes Day.

Known Agenda, piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., worked outside of Grade 1 Hill 'N' Dale Metropolitan Handicap contender Dr Post, with Hall of Famer John Velazquez up, covering five-eighths in 1:02.54 over the fast main track.

“I thought it was a good progressive breeze that should bring them both forward. In particular, I liked the way they galloped out,” said Pletcher. “I had them out in 1:14.4, 1:27.1 and 1:41 for the mile. I thought we accomplished what we were hoping to.”

Known Agenda, winner of the Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park in March, worked without blinkers. Last out, after leaving the inside post in the Kentucky Derby, the Curlin chestnut closed from 17th to finish ninth.

“Sometimes he breezes with them, but we're saving them for the race,” said Pletcher. “Sometimes, you get a little more bang for your buck if you don't overuse them.”

Known Agenda was a maiden winner at second asking traveling nine furlongs in November at the Big A, and followed with a third in the Grade 2 Remsen in December at Aqueduct.

After finishing fifth in his seasonal debut in the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs, Pletcher added blinkers to Known Agenda who promptly won an optional-claiming route on February 26 at Gulfstream by a widening 11 lengths ahead of his Florida Derby score.

Dr Post, owned by St. Elias Stable, hit the board in consecutive nine-furlong Grade 1s last summer when second to Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes and third in the Haskell won by Authentic by a nose over Ny Traffic at Monmouth Park.

The Quality Road bay launched his 4-year-old campaign with a prominent score in the Grade 3 Westchester traveling a one-turn mile at Belmont Park on May 1 that garnered a career-best 103 Beyer Speed Figure.

Pletcher said the colt has demonstrated star qualities.

“He certainly hinted at that last year,” said Pletcher. “He was a good second to Tiz the Law in the Belmont and an unlucky third in the Haskell, in my opinion, to Authentic. His form has certainly held up very well and the break that he got has served him well. He seems to be training as well as ever. I thought his comeback in the Westchester was good and should be a good prep for the Met Mile.”

The Met Mile, part of the loaded Belmont Stakes Day card, is a “Win and You're In” qualifier for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Del Mar.

Calumet Farm homebred Bourbonic, winner of the Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino in April at the Big A, worked a half-mile in company with Overtook in 48.82.

Overtook, with Manny Franco in the irons, worked inside of Bourbonic, guided by exercise rider Hector Ramos.

“They went off a touch quick but finished steadily,” said Pletcher. “I particularly liked the way they galloped out. I had them out seven-eighths in 1:27 and 4. I was pleased.”

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Overtook graduated at third asking traveling a one-turn mile in December at the Big A. Following a closing second in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers in February at Aqueduct, the Curlin bay returned off the layoff to finish a flat third in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Peter Pan on May 8 on Big Sandy.

Pletcher said Overtook, a $1 million Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, should appreciate the added distance second time off the shelf.

“He's a steady, one-run kind of horse and the Peter Pan didn't develop with much pace. I thought considering that he actually ran pretty well,” said Pletcher. “I think having a race under his belt should help him. Of course, this will be a much more difficult task but he's well-bred for the distance and we're hoping that's the key for him having success.”

Bourbonic, a dark bay Bernardini colt, rallied last-to-first under Kendrick Carmouche at odds of 72-1 to notch a record upset in the nine-furlong Wood Memorial. Last out, the late-running bay exited the outermost post in the 19-horse Grade 1 Kentucky Derby and improved belatedly along the rail to finish 13th.

Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing's Promise Keeper, a 2 1/4-length winner of the Peter Pan, worked a half-mile in 48.62 in company with multiple graded stakes winner Colonel Liam on Belmont's dirt training track.

Pletcher said Promise Keeper is likely to target the nine-furlong Grade 3, $500,000 Ohio Derby on June 26 at Thistledown, but will keep the Belmont Stakes under consideration.

“He was in company for a half-mile with Colonel Liam in 48 and change. I thought it was a good work,” said Pletcher. “It seems like he's maintained form since the Peter Pan. Right now we're leaning towards the Ohio Derby but we wanted to keep him in position to keep an eye on the Belmont. He worked well enough this morning that we'll continue to keep an eye on it.

“It would be interesting to try him a little further,” added Pletcher. “But right now the Ohio Derby seems to make sense.”

The 3-year-old Constitution colt, bred in Kentucky by co-owner Rock Ridge Thoroughbreds, entered the Peter Pan from a dominant 5 1/2-length score in a nine-furlong optional-claimer on April 8 at Keeneland.

Robert and Lawana Low's Colonel Liam is pointed to the Grade 1, $700,000 Resorts World Casino Manhattan, a 10-furlong turf test for older horses on Belmont Stakes Day.

The 4-year-old Liam's Map gray is on a four-race win streak that includes scores in the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream, the Grade 2 Muniz Memorial Classic in March at Fair Grounds and the Grade 1 Turf Classic on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Earlier this week, Shadwell Stable announced they would bypass the chance to compete against males in the Belmont Stakes with undefeated Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Malathaat and instead focus on a pair of Grade 1 targets at Saratoga in the nine-furlong $500,000 Coaching Club American Oaks on July 24 and the 10-furlong $600,000 Alabama on August 21.

The Curlin bay, out of Grade 1-winner Dreaming of Julia, captured the Grade 1 Ashland on April 3 at Keeneland in her seasonal debut ahead of a neck score over Search Results in the Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

“She had two good races four weeks apart,” said Pletcher. “Looking at the long term plans, she'd just lost a little weight doing that. We felt while it would certainly be intriguing, and from a talent standpoint she fits with the colts, it just felt a little risky going into the Belmont and if it was a hard race on her we could have potentially lost a couple opportunities with her this summer.”

Pletcher said Malathaat, who completed her juvenile campaign with a Grade 2 Demoiselle win in December at Aqueduct, is a special talent.

“She's a terrific filly to train. She's very intelligent and she obviously has loads of talent on top of it,” said Pletcher. “She galloped super this morning. She looks well and is eating well.”

WinStar Farm and CHC Inc.'s Sainthood finished 11th last out in the Kentucky Derby. The dark bay son of Mshawish, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Hero, worked a half-mile in 49.09 last Sunday on the Belmont inner turf.

Pletcher said Sainthood will breeze again on turf this weekend with an eye to a grass debut in the nine-furlong Grade 2, $200,000 Pennine Ridge on May 29.

“I thought he breezed well on the grass,” said Pletcher. “We'll take him back out there tomorrow for one more turf work. Given his pedigree, we had the turf in mind all along.”

Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable's Dynamic One, runner-up in the Grade 2 Wood Memorial, finished 18th in the Grade 2 Kentucky Derby last out.

Pletcher said Dynamic One will likely make his return to racing action at Saratoga.

“He'll probably have his first breeze next week and would most likely have his next start at Saratoga,” said Pletcher. “We just want to freshen him up a little bit after the Derby.”

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Small Field for Belmont Stakes Prep

With 7-5 morning-line favorite Risk Taking (Medaglia d'Oro) expected to scratch in favor of the GI Preakness S. per a report in Daily Racing Form, only five will remain for Saturday's GIII Peter Pan S., the local prep for the GI Belmont S.

Nova Rags (Union Rags), winner of Tampa's seven-furlong Pasco S. Jan. 16, followed a good runner-up finish in the GIII Sam F. Davis S. Feb. 6 with a fourth-place finish in the GI Curlin Florida Derby Mar. 27. The chestnut's resume also includes a debut win sprinting over this track last fall.

Newly minted Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a pair-last out GIII Withers S. Feb. 6 runner-up and impeccably bred $1-million KEESEP yearling Overtook (Curlin) and Promise Keeper (Constitution). The latter sandwiched a puzzling 12th in the GII Tampa Bay Derby Mar. 6 with a maiden win at Gulfstream Feb. 6 and a powerful optional claiming tally going 1 1/8 miles at Keeneland Apr. 8.

Wolfie's Dynaghost (Ghostzapper) makes his first start since posting a sharp debut maiden win-good for an 84 Beyer–over subsequent GIII Gotham S. upsetter Weyburn (Pioneerof the Nile) at Aqueduct Nov. 14.

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Pletcher Pair Overtook, Promise Keeper Preparing For Belmont In Peter Pan

Newly minted Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle graded-stakes placed Overtook and two-time winner Promise Keeper in Saturday's Grade 3, $200,000 Peter Pan at Belmont Park.

The nine-furlong Peter Pan for sophomores is the traditional local prep for the Grade 1, $1.5 million Belmont Stakes slated for Saturday, June 5 at 1 1/2-miles on Big Sandy.

Saturday's card features five graded stakes, led by the Grade 1, $700,000 Man o' War at 1 3/8-miles on the turf for 4-year-olds and upward and is bolstered by the Grade 3, $150,000 Runhappy, a six-furlong sprint for older horses; the Grade 3, $150,000 Beaugay for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16-miles on turf; and the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy at 6 1/2-furlongs on the main track for filly and mare sprinters 4-years-old and up.

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael B. Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Overtook graduated at third asking with blinkers off traveling a one-turn mile on December 20 at the Big A.

Last out, Overtook, a $1 million purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, rallied from last-of-9 to complete the exacta behind Peter Pan-rival Risk Taking in the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers on February 6 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Pletcher said a moderate pace in the Withers may have hampered Overtook's chances.

“He made a sustained run. He's a grinder. He'd benefit from some pace. The further the better,” said Pletcher.

Pletcher said he initially hoped to point Overtook to the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino on April 3 at Aqueduct, but changed plans after watching the colt train at Palm Beach Downs in Florida.

“We took him down there [to Florida] after the Withers with the idea that we might come back for the Wood,” said Pletcher, who has captured the Peter Pan with Purge [2004], Sunriver [2006], and Madefromlucky [2015]. “It took him a little while to find his best, so we decided to wait for the Peter Pan. It seems like the last two or three weeks, he's really come around.”

Overtook posted a bullet half-mile breeze in 48.32 seconds on April 30 at Palm Beach Downs and Pletcher said he is hoping Overtook will prove worthy of a run at the final leg of the Triple Crown.

“Historically, the Peter Pan has been a good stepping stone to the Belmont,” said Pletcher. “He has a pedigree that suggests he wants to go that far and now it's time to see if he's good enough.”

Hall of Famer John Velazquez, fresh off a Kentucky Oaks–Kentucky Derby double with the Pletcher-trained Malathaat and the Bob Baffert-conditioned Medina Spirit, respectively, will guide Overtook from the inside post. Velazquez captured the Peter Pan for Pletcher in 2004 with Purge and for conditioner Robert Barbara in 1996 aboard Jaimes First Punch.

Woodford Thoroughbreds, WinStar Farm and Rock Ridge Racing's Promise Keeper, purchased for $160,000 at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, earned a career-best 85 Beyer Speed Figure last out with a 5 1/2-length score in a nine-furlong optional-claiming event on April 8 at Keeneland.

The Constitution chestnut graduated at second asking in February when stretched out to one mile on a sloppy track at Gulfstream, but followed by finishing last-of-12 in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby in March.

Pletcher said the Keeneland win made up for the disappointing Tampa Bay Derby effort.

“It wasn't his day for sure,” said Pletcher. “We just drew a line through it, regrouped at Keeneland and he ran very well that day. We've been pointing for this since then.”

Pletcher said a prominent trip last out proved beneficial for Promise Keeper after being mired behind horses in the Tampa Bay Derby.

“He's one that wants to be involved,” said Pletcher. “He didn't get away great [at Tampa.] He just never got into the race and probably didn't like the surface at Tampa. He trained well after that and I thought the allowance race at Keeneland was impressive.”

Pletcher said he expects Promise Keeper to be versatile, capable of winning at a variety of distances.

“I don't think he needs two turns, but I do think he appreciates the mile and an eighth,” said Pletcher.

Luis Saez retains the mount on Promise Keeper from post 3.

Risk Taking, trained by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown for Klaravich Stables, captured the nine-furlong Grade 3 Withers on February 6 at the Big A.

The Medaglia d'Oro bay, a $240,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, followed with a flat seventh last out in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Wood Memorial.

Brown said he hopes Risk Taking, who breezed five-eighths in 1:00.34 on May 1 over Big Sandy, can regroup from a less than favorable trip in the Wood Memorial.

“He did take a lot of dirt and was a little wide. We quite liked his chances in that race,” said Brown, who has captured the Peter Pan with Timeline [2017] and Country Grammer [2020]. “He's come back and worked really well. His last work was particularly good for him. It was the best we've seen from him. We're giving it another shot in here to see if he can get back on track.”

Irad Ortiz, Jr. retains the mount from the outermost post 6.

Woodslane Farm homebred Wolfie's Dynaghost earned an 84 Beyer in his impressive debut sprinting seven furlongs over a Big A main track rated good on November 14 when 1 1/2-lengths the better of eventual graded-stakes winner Weyburn.

Tom Albertrani has trained Wolfie's Dynaghost into his second career start at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, where the colt posted a bullet five-eighths breeze in 1:01.20 on April 25.

“He's doing great. He had a bit of time off but he's been training well lately and we're looking forward to getting him back on the track,” Albertrani said. “He showed so much promise the first time he ran. His works prior to that, he showed a lot, so it was great watching him win first-time out.”

By Ghostzapper and out of the Dynaformer mare Dynaire, Wolfie's Dynaghost is a half-brother to the Albertrani-trained Sadler's Joy, a Grade 1 winner and $2.6 million earner.

Jose Ortiz, who won the 2016 Peter Pan aboard Unified, has the call from post 4.

Michael Shanley's Nova Rags was bumped at the start of the Grade 1 Florida Derby last out before making the lead en route to a fourth-place finish on March 27 traveling nine furlongs around two turns at Gulfstream.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said the rugged start didn't affect the outcome.

“It's horse racing. You don't like to get bumped but it happens,” said Mott. “He got away good and was on the lead.”

The Union Rags chestnut, a Kentucky homebred, graduated at first asking in October sprinting six furlongs at Belmont and completed an abbreviated juvenile campaign with a fourth in the Grade 3 Nashua in November at Aqueduct.

Nova Rags made a winning sophomore debut in the seven-furlong Pasco in January at Tampa Bay Downs ahead of a second at the same track in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Sam F. Davis won by fellow Mott trainee Candy Man Rocket.

Mott said a return to one-turn racing at Belmont may benefit Nova Rags, who will not be using the Peter Pan as a springboard to the Belmont Stakes.

“He ran well at one turn so I guess the mile and an eighth is the question,” said Mott. “I don't think we'd go to the Belmont with him.”

Nova Rags will exit post 2 under Junior Alvarado.

Rounding out the field is Curragh Stables' I Am the Law, a maiden son of Mshawish purchased for $125,000 at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

Trained by John Terranova, I Am the Law has hit the board in both career starts, including a closing second last out in a one-turn mile maiden special weight contested on a sloppy Big A main track on March 28 that garnered a 72 Beyer.

Kenrick Carmouche returns to the irons from post 5.

The Peter Pan is slated as Race 9 on Saturday's 11-race card. First post is 1 p.m.

Belmont Park is now open to a limited number of spectators. All admission must be purchased in advance at nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

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NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Park, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Overtook Targets Peter Pan

Trainer Todd Pletcher indicated Overtook (Curlin) will make his next start in the May 8 GIII Peter Pan S. at Belmont Park. Since finishing second behind Risk Taking in the GIII Withers S. Feb. 6 at Aqueduct, the son of Grade I winner Got Lucky (A.P. Indy) has registered two easy half-mile works at Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs base, including the latest a a four-furlong move in :50.75 Mar. 6. The Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith runner is expected to return the work tab this weekend.

“We just got a little off schedule with him,” Pletcher said. “He's training every day at Palm Beach and he'll breeze this weekend. We'd like to get him ready for the Peter Pan.”

Pletcher indicated a strong effort in the Peter Pan, a nine-furlong test for sophomores, would likely make the June 5 GI Belmont S. the next goal.

“That's what we're hoping,” Pletcher said. “If we have a good performance in the Peter Pan it could propel him into the Belmont.”

A $1 million purchase at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Overtook was a third out maiden winner Dec. 20 at Aqueduct before finishing a late-closing second in the Withers.

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