Pletcher Prepares Life Is Good For Kelso, Wit For Champagne

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher worked graded stakes winner Life Is Good a half-mile over the training track Saturday in preparation for Saturday's $300,000 Grade 2 Kelso Handicap, a one-turn mile for 3-year-olds and up at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

Owned by CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm, the son of leading sire Into Mischief recorded his four-furlong move in :48.46 over a fast main track – the 17th fastest of 132 recorded works at the distance. This was a second work back for Life Is Good following a game runner-up effort in the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens Memorial, where he engaged in a dramatic stretch duel with Jackie's Warrior, coming up a neck shy of victory.

“I thought he worked super,” Pletcher said. “I was really pleased with the way he went and it looked like he was moving along there really well.”

Unbeaten in his previous three efforts, which include victories in the Grade 3 Sham and Grade 2 San Felipe at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif., this winter, Life Is Good will see an increase in ground from the seven-furlong H. Allen Jerkens.

“I think it's a good progression for him coming off the layoff and the one seven-eighths race.”

Pletcher also worked three-time Grade 1-winner Malathaat Saturday, who went an easy half-mile in :49.49 over the Belmont training track in her first breeze since winning the Grade 1 Alabama on August 19 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Pletcher said the Shadwell Stable-owned daughter of Curlin will train up to the $3 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Distaff on November 6 at Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in Del Mar, Calif.

“It was her first work back and she did it well,” Pletcher said. “Her energy level is really good at the moment. We plan on training up to the Breeders' Cup.”

Also returning to the work tab for Pletcher was Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Gainesway Stable's Wit, who was second after stumbling at the start of the Grade 1 Hopeful on September 6 at Saratoga.

The son of freshman stallion Practical Joke went a half-mile in :49.93 over the Belmont training track and will target the $500,000 Grade 1 Champagne on October 2 – a “Win And You're In” qualifier for the $2 million Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile on November 5 at Del Mar.

“He worked well,” Pletcher said. “Hopefully, we get a little cleaner break this time. It certainly hurt his chances, he fell on his head leaving there, but I thought he ran on courageously after that.”

Pletcher said Bass Stables homebred Annapolis, who broke his maiden on debut going two turns over Saratoga's inner turf by 4 ½ lengths, will target the $200,000 Grade 2 Pilgrim on October 3 at Belmont Park.

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Pletcher: Wit Ready For Hopeful, Happy Saver To Train Up to BC Classic

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver, trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, settled for second while trying to defend his title in Saturday's Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

The 4-year-old Super Saver chestnut, piloted by Irad Ortiz, Jr., saved ground while tracking a moderate pace from third position. Ortiz, Jr. angled the colt into the four-path for the stretch run but the more forwardly placed Max Player was already on his way to a four-length score when Happy Saver got clear.

“There wasn't a lot of pace and he was sort of bottled up. He was wanting to advance but didn't really get the opportunity until it was too late. The winner was very good and he got the jump on him,” Pletcher said. “I was happy with his performance and he closed well, which is probably a little better suited to a race where there's more pace and everybody spreads out a little more. He got a good trip but it was behind the wrong pace scenario. He came back in good shape.”

Pletcher said Happy Saver will now train up to the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic in November at Del Mar.

Bass Racing's 2-year-old War Front homebred Annapolis rallied from eighth to win a 1 1/16-mile turf maiden special weight by 4 1/2-lengths in Saturday's sixth race at the Spa under Ortiz, Jr.

“I was very pleased with him. He trained well into it and delivered the type of performance we were hoping for,” Pletcher said. “The race was slow to develop and the early fractions weren't really fast, but I liked the way he picked it up around the turn. He finished strongly and galloped out well.”

Pletcher said Annapolis, who earned a 76 Beyer, is likely to point to the $200,000 Grade 2 Pilgrim, a 1 1/16-mile turf test on October 3 at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.

“I'd say the Pilgrim is probably the most likely next target. He seemed to come out of it in good order,” Pletcher said.

The well-bred colt is out of the Pletcher-trained My Miss Sophia, who won the 2014 Grade 2 Gazelle at the Big A en route to a runner-up effort in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. My Miss Sophia took to turf in her 4-year-old season, winning an optional-claiming event on the Belmont grass ahead of series of graded attempts that included third-place finishes in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa at Saratoga and Grade 1 First Lady at Keeneland.

Pletcher said Annapolis could try dirt later in his development.

“At this stage, he's shown us he's a little better on the turf, but he's a big, strong colt,” Pletcher said. “Obviously the mare was second in the Kentucky Oaks, but sometimes these type of horses, as they mature, they get better on the dirt, but for now we'll stay focused on the turf.”

Repole Stable's Never Surprised set a steady pace in Saturday's Grade 3 Saranac, but settled for second after being collared in the final jumps by Public Sector. The Constitution bay entered the 1 1/16-mile event off a more than seven-month layoff from a runner-up effort in the one-mile Grade 3 Kitten's Joy in January at Gulfstream Park.

“He ran well. He was just a little keen early,” Pletcher said. “I was proud of him for fighting on. When things got tough, he kept fighting to the wire. With the layoff and being a little bit keen, I think it compromised his chances a little bit.

“Even before the layoff, he's been one that's wanted to pull a bit early,” Pletcher added. “If we can talk him out of that, I think it will improve his chances of stretching out.”

Never Surprised made his first two starts in November on the Big A turf, graduating on debut sprinting six furlongs ahead of a score in the 1 1/16-mile Central Park.

Pletcher said he had initially considered the six-furlong Allied Forces on September 17 at Belmont before deciding to keep the colt at two turns. The veteran conditioner said the nine-furlong $400,000 Grade 2 Hill Prince on October 23 at Belmont would be under consideration if Never Surprised trains well.

“He did break his maiden at six and we were debating between the Allied Forces and the Saranac coming back, but we just felt like we'd give him the opportunity to keep him stretched out. We won't rule out the Hill Prince just yet,” Pletcher said.

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Pletcher will saddle a pair of strong contenders in Wit and Power Agenda in Monday's 117th renewal of the $300,000 Grade 1 Hopeful, a seven-furlong sprint for juveniles.

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Gainesway Stable's Wit, by 2016 Hopeful-winner Practical Joke and out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Numero d'Oro, is perfect through two starts. Wit posted a six-length maiden win sprinting 5 1/2-furlongs at Belmont in June ahead of an eight-length score in the six-furlong Grade 3 Sanford on July 17.

“Wit is doing great. He's been pointing for this since the Sanford and except for having to make some minor adjustments around the rain, everything has gone according to plan. We're looking forward to getting him going again,” Pletcher said.

A $575,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, will exit post 6 under Ortiz, Jr. in a field of 11.

“He's not real quick from the gate but he's got enough tactical speed to put himself in a good position,” Pletcher said. “He's got a really strong turn of foot. It will be up to Irad to work out a trip and time his move.”

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Power Agenda, by Nyquist and out of the Afleet Alex mare Dream Dance, prevailed by a nose in a gutsy gate-to-wire debut win sprinting six furlongs on August 14 at the Spa.

“The two of them complement each other's style. Power Agenda is a speedier sort and I'd imagine he'd be up close,” Pletcher said. “I thought he was courageous in his debut. It looked like he was headed and he fought back. He's done everything right so far.”

Power Agenda, a $120,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale acquisition, will exit post 10 under Manny Franco.

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The Process: Jacob West

As the agent for the powerful partnership of Mike Repole's Repole Stable and Vinnie Viola's St. Elias (involved in $10,435,000 worth of Keeneland September '20 expenditures, mostly together on Classic-leaning colts); the buyer for upper-market players Robert and Lawana Low ($1,535,000 on four head last September); and in his role as Vice President, Bloodstock for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners (part of $4,267,000 in buys at KEESEP '20 including the $2-million topper), there aren't many, if any, agents with more money behind them these days than Jacob West.

Considering Eclipse partnered on the $800,000 topper at this year's Fasig-Tipton July sale, and the Lows purchased the second-priciest lot at Fasig Saratoga in the form of a $1.6-million Uncle Mo colt, plus with the success Repole and Viola have already had with last year's yearling buys, it's a pretty safe bet that West will have his hand in his fair share of the priciest acquisitions at the upcoming Keeneland September sale.

We caught up with West days before Repole and Viola are set to be represented by a pair of September buys Monday in Saratoga's GI Hopeful S.–'TDN Rising Star' and GIII Sanford S. winner Wit (Practical Joke, $575,000) and game first-out winner Power Agenda (Nyquist, $120,000)–to find out how he approaches auctions in general and specifically the industry's largest yearling sale.

This year's September sale will be held from Sept. 13 to Sept. 24. Visit theworldsyearlingsale.com for more information.

TDN: Do you do much pedigree work before the sale?

JW: I'm more of a physical guy than a pedigree guy. I think that when you find the top physical and go back and look at the pedigree, you can kind of use that as gauge for an appraisal. I try to focus solely on the athlete and find the athlete, and then go back and look at the pedigree and make an appraisal of what I think the horse will bring if he passes the vet.

TDN: Do you make many farm visits to inspect KEESEP entries before the sale?

JW: I do. I've seen probably 400-500 horses already and I've got some more spots to go to still. I try to cover as much ground as possible.

[If there's one I don't love at the farm] I think you still have to go into the sale with a little bit more of an open mind. There may be a horse that you liked at the farm and you see him at the sale and he unravels. And vice versa, there might be a horse you didn't like at the farm and you go see him at the sale and you like him. They change so much so quickly. I think you'd be foolish to knock off horses to try and create a short list from the farm. I do it more to try to get a gauge on what's out there; what the quality's going to be in Book 1 vs. Book 2 and so forth.

TDN: Are you an iPad guy or a catalog guy?

JW: I'm a catalog man. I use the iPad when I do my farm visits because it's easier to keep track of what you've seen, but when I'm at the sale I've got to have paper in my hand. Plus, it's easier for me to keep my catalogs and look back for reference. I get calls all the time from people asking me if I saw a filly before they drop a claim and things like that.

TDN: What's your shortlisting process like?

JW: I work closely with Todd Pletcher at the sales. I try to cover as much ground as I possibly can–it's pretty easy to cover ground in Books 1 and 2, and with this new format I guess maybe Book 3 as well–but when you're dividing it up with a Hall of Fame trainer who has bought multiple Grade I winners, it's good to know that if you cut the barns in half and the other half is him working, and you swap lists when you meet halfway, that works out pretty well.

As I get into the later books, I think at that point it's easier to sort through some of the pedigrees [and not look at every horse]. Eddie Rosen, Mike Repole's pedigree consultant, has told me, “In this business, there are proven failures.” So if a mare's 0-for-10 with her produce record, there's really no point in thinking that you're going to be the one who's going to buy her next foal that becomes a champion.

Plus, if you have a good relationship with the consignors, they're always pushing to sell their horses, but as you're marking the card they may say to you, “Hey, you're missing a nice horse–let me add it on” or they might say there's no reason to look at a certain horse.

I know there's a lot of people who look at every horse and have these massive teams, but it's hard for me to rely on somebody unless it's Todd, or Todd's dad or a handful of other people at the sales.

TDN: What's the first thing you look at when a horse comes out of the barn at the sale?

JW: Presence–that's 1A, and 1B is athleticism. Good horses come in all forms, shapes and sizes, but luckily for me I spent 10 1/2 years at Taylor Made Sales Agency so I got to see some of the best horses that we sold who went on to be good racehorses, and also in November we sold top fillies [coming off the track]. I got to see what those horses look like, and characteristics that they had that you could look for going forward. That was the best way to learn.

I always tell people who are new to the industry, go out and look at stallions, because they're the best racehorses we have. You can't get a view of what a good horse looks like without going out and seeing these studs, and for fillies go to the November sales and just kind of hang out by the barn and as these horses come out for inspections, take a look at them.

TDN: Is there a certain physical characteristic or type that you tend to gravitate towards?

JW: With my clientele, they want to win Classic races. It might almost be a little bit of a mistake if we end up buying a sprinter. Pedigree will have to come into play there, especially for Mike and Vinnie if we're buying potential stallion prospects–they don't care how good the horse might look if he doesn't have the pedigree to back it up that they can go and sell to become a stud.

Mr. and Mrs. Low's number-one goal is to win the Arkansas Derby, so for them I can't buy something that's by a turf stallion out of a big turf family to try and go win the Arkansas Derby–that's not going to happen.

So, things like that come into play, but to me, at the end of the day, the walk is what's most important. I know some sprinters don't really have great walks, but most two-turn, Classic-distance horses have easy ways of going and take care of themselves. And that all begins at the walk.

TDN: How do you figure out which of your owners end up on which horses off your list?

JW: It's a function of price. Mr. and Mrs. Low have kind of a rifle target–they know typically what they're going to spend. We've been the underbidder or maybe haven't gone as strong on other horses, but when a horse fits the profile or mold of what they want, they give me the thumbs up [to fire].

Mike and Vinnie are a little bit different because they're going to buy a number of horses and there's a big scale there. But they're not typically going to close their eyes and go buy a horse. Like I told everybody last year, it doesn't show up in the sales results, but they carried the yearling sales last year because of how many horses we were the underbidder on.

TDN: Both Repole and Viola have their own teams of dedicated advisors. How do you incorporate their work with yours and Todd's physical evaluations?

JW: With them, I do a list, Todd does a list, and Vinnie has his own team made up of Monique Delk and a handful of others who are very instrumental as well. We compile those lists and [Repole's pedigree advisor] Eddie Rosen and [Viola's pedigree advisor] John Sparkman have already done their pedigree lists too. So we sit down and check the score sheet, and if we all match up and they vet, then it's a go at whatever price we decide on.

TDN: How do you stay focused and organized during the September sale?

JW: Going home every night, eating as healthy as you can, trying not to stay out late, and staying organized with your catalogs and lists and all that are very important.

TDN: What's something you've learned or changed your mind about from when you started seriously shopping the sales?

JW: I think you learn from your failures more than anything. You look back and see, well I bought this horse who had X, Y and Z and that didn't work out–so that's not going to work for me… If you've been burned by a certain thing, be it stallion, mare, whatever it is, you kind of learn from that. I think it's very hard to say, “I've got a certain type that I buy and it's got to be that type physically.” If you get into that, you might be missing out a little bit. But over the years, I've definitely learned what doesn't work for me.

TDN: What do you remember about Wit when you bought him?

JW: I remember what stall he was in with [breeder and consignor] Rosilyn Polan… He hit everyone's list and the stars kind of aligned. He was a big, strong, mature horse. He's a May foal, and you never would've thought that when you saw him. To me, he was a perfect blend of his father and his broodmare sire [Medaglia d'Oro]. That's one of those that I think benefitted from working with a team–Mike and Vinnie are so smart to get the opinions of multiple people. When the opinions match up, that's a good thing.

TDN: Fellow Hopeful contender Power Agenda obviously cost significantly less than Wit at $120,000 at the same sale. What do you remember about him?

JW: He came later in the sale. He was a beautiful horse who moved well. To be honest, he wasn't a horse who had a lot of flash, but he was just athletic.

TDN: Eclipse, along with Robert LaPenta, Gainesway and Winchell Thoroughbreds purchased last year's September topper, a $2-million Tapit colt (hip 435) out of GISW Tara's Tango (Unbridled's Song), from Stonestreet, who also stayed in. He's posted a last breezed Aug. 28. How's he doing?

JW: He's now named Capensis and he's doing well. He's at  Todd's barn at Belmont and training forwardly. He's one of those horses who we've had to say, “Whoa” a little bit and not “Go” to make sure we didn't end up chewing him up too much, but it's worked out well.

He was started down at Stonestreet, and they did a phenomenal job getting him ready. We discussed whether or not to send him to Saratoga or keep him at Belmont and point for a fall campaign, and that's what we ended up deciding to do. We said, 'Let's take the foot off the gas pedal and let him grow up and develop more” and that's set him up for more of a fall campaign.

TDN: These stallion-making partnerships are one of the most noteworthy bloodstock market trends of the last few years, with the Repole/St. Elias group sending a large number of colts to Pletcher; of course The Avengers with Bob Baffert out in California; and now the Brad Cox Colts Group that popped up at Saratoga. What impact on the market do you think these groups have?

JW: The obvious answer is that well-bred colts who have the physical to match the pedigree are going to bring more money. I think you saw that at Saratoga. But at the end of the day, you can have so much money and buy so many horses, but there are only so many horses who really fit the mold of what everybody's looking for in that instance. So, you know if you have a horse who carries a top pedigree, is a top physical and he vets, you're going to get paid [as a seller]. And it's all about these breeders having that.

But I think it also opens up opportunities for other buyers on horses who might suffer a little bit on pedigree or conformation. There's an opportunity to go in and buy those types. Well-bred fillies always sell well, but it may also open up some opportunities for fillies too.

TDN: Wit was obviously a freshman sire success story coming out of Practical Joke's first crop. Any first-crop sires this year you're paying particularly close attention to heading into September?

JW: I think we're at a very interesting time in the industry in North America. I can't think of another time when we've had the stallion power that we have now, between Into Mischief, Tapit, Medaglia d'Oro on down and young horses coming along like Gun Runner. The proven stallions who are out there are really damn good. There's a reason why they rank at the top and why everybody wants their progeny. As far as first-crop sires go, I've seen quite a few Good Magics that have been very nice and we've bought two already [for Eclipse], so I'd probably give him the thumbs up.

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Wit, Happy Saver Work In Preparation For Upcoming Saratoga Starts

Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Gainesway Stable's 2-year-old Wit, dominant winner of the Grade 3 Sanford July 17, put in his final preparation for the $300,000 Grade 1 Hopeful on September 6 with a half-mile breeze Sunday morning at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Wit, with jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. up, went four furlongs in :49.22 over a main track rated fast, ranking 16th of 24 horses at the distance. It was the fifth work in Saratoga since an eight-length triumph in the six-furlong Sanford for Wit, who went five furlongs in 1:01.42 on the Oklahoma training track August 23, the fastest of five horses.

“[It was] a good maintenance work,” Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He had a really solid work last week so we were just kind of looking for the final prep, and it went smoothly.”

By Practical Joke out of the Medaglia d'Oro mare Numero d'Oro, Wit fetched $575,000 as a yearling last fall at Keeneland. He was a six-length winner of his June 5 debut at Belmont Park, where he did all his prep work for the Sanford.

Wit's sire won the Grade 1 H. Allen Jerkens in 2017, formerly the King's Bishop, in the first year it was renamed for the late Hall of Fame trainer. The Hopeful for 2-year-olds, like the Jerkens contested at seven furlongs, will be run on Labor Day, September 6 – closing day of the Saratoga meet.

“He's a really easy horse to train. He's very professional. He's very responsive to whatever you want him to do,” Pletcher said. “He'll sit off a horse and he'll accelerate on command. He's really been push-button so far.”

Wit worked in company with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Power Agenda, purchased for $120,000 out of the same sale. A gutsy front-running nose winner of his debut, a six-furlong maiden special weight August 4 at Saratoga, Power Agenda was timed in :49.25 and is also under Hopeful consideration.

“Power Agenda worked well also. We'll see how he bounces out of it, but right now we're leaning toward running both,” Pletcher said. “He showed that he's got some fight to him. He had trained well leading up to it, so we weren't surprised, but we've been happy with the way he's come out of it.”

Pletcher said he was thrilled with the efforts of both Life Is Good and Following Sea, who respectively ran second and third in Saturday's Jerkens. CHC Inc. and WinStar Farm's Life Is Good set blazing fractions of :21.97 and :44.16 and dug in through a protracted stretch duel with Jackie's Warrior before coming up a neck short.

Life Is Good joined Pletcher's stable earlier this summer and was racing for the first time since a victory in the Grade 2 San Felipe March 6 at Santa Anita for previous trainer Bob Baffert. The Jerkens marked his first loss in four career starts.

“Both horses came out of it in good order this morning,” Pletcher said. “[Life Is Good] ran a spectacular race off the layoff. [He] went really fast and just got nipped by a really good horse.”

Pletcher said there is no specific race yet picked out for Life Is Good following the Jerkens.

“We're kind of surveying all of our options,” he said. “We'll give it a little time just to digest the race and assess how he comes out of it. I think he's versatile enough that there's a lot of potential options.”

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Spendthrift Farm homebred Following Sea made a late run to be third, 8 ¾ lengths behind the top two. In his prior start, he finished third in a three-way photo finish in the Grade 1 Haskell July 17 at Monmouth Park but was elevated to second following the disqualification of top finisher Hot Rod Charlie.

“I thought he ran on well,” Pletcher said of the Jerkens. “He got a little confused when he got hit by dirt. He hadn't had a whole lot of experience with dirt in his face, but once he got going I thought he put in a nice run down the lane to get up for third.”

Wertheimer and Frere homebred Happy Saver, unraced since suffering his first loss in five career starts in the Grade 2 Suburban July 3 at Belmont, remains on track to defend his 2020 victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup.

Previously held at Belmont, the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup for 3-year-olds and up going 1 ¼ miles was moved to Saratoga this year and will be run Saturday, September 4.

Happy Saver, whose other stakes win came in the 2020 Federico Tesio last September at Laurel Park in Laurel Md., has experience racing over at Saratoga, winning a 1 1/8-mile allowance last July in his second career start. He breezed five furlongs in 1:00.66 Saturday on Saratoga's main track.

“He worked well yesterday and looked good this morning,” Pletcher said. “We've kind of been pointing for this for a little while.”

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