Todd Pletcher | 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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Pair of Unbeatens Clash with Remsen Winner in Wood Memorial

The New York road to the GI Kentucky Derby concludes with Saturday's GII Wood Memorial S., featuring the winners of Aqueduct's GII Remsen S., GIII Withers S. and GIII Gotham S., respectively.

Morello (Classic Empire) brings a perfect three-for-three record to the table for Steve Asmussen following sharp, press-and-pounce victories in the Jimmy Winkfield S. Feb. 6 and one-turn mile Gotham Mar. 5. He is the 8-5 morning-line favorite for this first test around two turns.

“We're excited. The horse is doing well, he's super sharp and we think we have what it takes to get the job done,” said Dave Lyon of Blue Lion Thoroughbreds, who owns Morello in partnership with Craig Taylor and Diamond T Racing. “Distance isn't a question mark for me. I think with the way he runs and his patience and class, it shows that he can do it.”

Early Voting (Gun Runner), drawn two inside of Morello in post three, will be on the engine beneath Jose Ortiz. The Klaravich Stables runner sped off to an impressive win in the mud over track and trip at just second asking in a live renewal of the Withers Feb. 5. The Withers field also included subsequent GII Rebel S. winner Un Ojo (Laoban) (second) and GII Tampa Bay Derby second Grantham (Declaration of War) (fourth).

“He went first time around two turns and he passed the test well,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He definitely gained experience and he appears to be training well. He prefers to be forwardly placed, so hopefully he'll be there again.”

The rail-drawn Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), a narrow winner over Zandon (Upstart) in a roughly run edition of the Remsen Dec. 4, ran on late to be a useful third as the favorite in his comebacker in the GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Feb. 5. The winner that day White Abarrio (Race Day) backed up that effort with a win in last weekend's GI Curlin Florida Derby. Mo Donegal was forced to miss the GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 5 with a temperature.

“I guess it was a blessing to get it out of the way then as opposed to now,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “He's trained well since then. In particular, I thought his final breeze for this was very good.”

Pletcher continued, “The Wood fits well in the calendar for us and we've been pointing Mo Donegal there for a while seeing as he won the Remsen there. It makes sense to bring him back on a surface we knew he likes.”

Pletcher, also represented by Gotham third Golden Code (Honor Code) and four-start maiden Long Term (Curlin), has saddled six of the last 11 Wood Memorial winners. A victory would put Pletcher on even terms with the late fellow Hall of Fame trainer “Sunny Jim” Fitzsimmons, the all-time leading trainer in the Wood with seven wins.

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Short, But Sweet Field Set For Transylvania

A small, but competitive field of six sophomore colts are set to line up Friday in Keeneland's GIII Transylvania S. Two-time Transylvania winner Chad Brown saddles a third of the field in Verbal (Flintshire {GB}) and Napoleonic War (War Front). Rallying to a decisive score in his Belmont unveiling Oct. 10, Juddmonte homebred Verbal closed strongly to take Del Mar's GIII Cecil B. Demille S. at Del Mar next out Nov. 28. He is the 2-1 morning-line favorite in this sophomore bow.

His stablemate Napoleonic War is the longest shot on the morning line at 15-1 after charging from well back to dead-heat for the win in his Tampa debut Jan. 21.

Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) enters on a hot streak. The Todd Pletcher pupil is two-for-two this season with narrow victories in Gulfstream's Dania Beach S. Jan. 1 and GIII Kitten's Joy S. Feb. 5.

Mark Casse sends out a pair in here in Coinage (Tapit) and Credibility (Nyquist). Winner of the GIII With Anticipation S. last year, Coinage was third in the Kitten's Joy, but rebounded with a neck success in the Palm Beach S. in Hallandale Mar. 5. Third in the GII Bourbon S. last term, Credibility kicked off this season with an off-the-turf optional claimer win at Gulfstream Jan. 22, but could only manage sixth in the Palm Beach.

Rounding out the sextet is undefeated Sy Dog (Slumber {GB}), a dominant winner first out at Belmont Oct. 24, who rallied to victory in Aqueduct's Central Park S. next out Nov. 27.

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Pletcher Seeks Second Straight Ashland Win

Todd Pletcher captured last year's GI Central Bank Ashland S. with the blue-blooded Malathaat (Curlin), who went on to take the GI Kentucky Oaks in her next start. The Hall of Famer looks to repeat in Friday's renewal with another daughter of Curlin named Nest. A dominant debut winner going two turns at Belmont in September, the $350,000 KEESEP buy checked in third in the Tempted S. there next out Nov. 5. Besting next-out Busher S. winner and Saturday's GII Gazelle S. contender Venti Valentine (Firing Line) by a neck in the Dec. 4 GII Demoiselle S. at Aqueduct, the bay romped by six lengths in her seasonal bow in Tampa's Suncoast S. Feb. 12. Top rider Irad Ortiz, who rode Nest to all three of her wins, will be at the controls Friday.

Brad Cox also saddled an Ashland winner turned Oaks winner when sending out Monmoy Girl (Tapizar) in the 2018 renewal. He has a strong contender this year in Flurry Racing Stables' Interstatedaydream (Classic Empire). That ownership group also campaigned Cox's 2020 Oaks winner Shedaresthedevil (Daredevil). A narrow winner of her career bow sprinting at Belmont June 25, the bay filly checked in second in Saratoga's 6 1/2-panel GII Adirondack S. Aug. 8 and was subsequently shelved for the season. Returning to action Mar. 13 at Oaklawn, Interstatedaydream put on a show in her first try around two turns, charging home to an 8 1/4-length score and earning an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Keeneland stalwart Wesley Ward also sends out a live shot in Happy Soul (Runhappy). Second when unveiled in the slop at Keeneland in April of last year, the bay earned her diploma by 11 3/4 lengths next out over a fast track at Belmont in May. Wiring Belmont's Astoria S. by an equally large margin June 3, she was sent to the sidelines for the rest of her juvenile year and returned with a decisive win in Oaklawn's Dixie Belle S. Feb. 19. The $50,000 KEESEP acquisition tries two turns for the first time in this event with regular rider John Velazquez in the irons.

Doug O'Neill ships one in for this event in Reddam Racing's Awake at Midnyte (Nyquist). Opening her account in Arcadia Oct. 31, she missed by a nose when trying grass in the GIII Jimmy Durante S. a month later. A close second when getting back on dirt in the GII Santa Ynez S. Jan. 8, good for a 90 Beyer, the chestnut checked in fourth last time when extending to 1 1/16 miles in the GII Rachel Alexandra S. Feb. 19.

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