Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher has 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, and offered up plans for some of the top Kentucky Derby hopefuls in his barn to the Thoroughbred Daily News this week.
Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), winner of the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct and last-out third in Gulfstream's G3 Holy Bull, could head back to New York for his final Derby prep. How Mo Donegal trains over the next few weeks will determine whether the colt runs again prior to the G2 Wood Memorial on April 9. The Donegal Racing/Jerry Crawford-owned colt has won two of his four starts thus far, and was acquired as a $250,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale.
“The Wood Memorial is the 100-point race that we've got him targeted for since he won the Remsen at Aqueduct,” Pletcher told TDN. “I actually thought he ran a sneaky good race the other day [in the Holy Bull]. He was making up some ground late. It's just that everything kind of unfolded the wrong way for him and it took him a while to get out in the clear and able to make his run. It was the kind of effort we were hoping for, even though it wasn't the result we were wanting.”
Emmanuel (More Than Ready) has won a maiden race at Gulfstream and a first-level allowance at Tampa Bay Downs for owners WinStar Farm and Siena Farm, and could next be pointed to the G2 Fountain of Youth at Gulfstream on March 5. Pletcher has penciled in the colt, a $350,000 yearling at Keeneland September, as progressing through the G1 Florida Derby en route to Louisville.
Pioneer of Medina (Pioneerof the Nile) required three starts to break his maiden, but won a first-level allowance at the Fair Grounds on Jan. 22 to set him up for a run in the G2 Risen Star on Feb. 19. The homebred Sumaya U.S. Stable colt is out of stakes-winner Lights of Medina.
Major General (Constitution) hasn't started since winning the G3 Iroquois at Churchill Downs, but could reappear in the Mar. 12 G2 Tampa Bay Derby. Owned by WinStar and Siena Farm, the undefeated colt was a $420,000 yearling purchase at Keeneland September.
Read more at the TDN.
