Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

312 Early Triple Crown Nominations

A total of 312 sophomores were nominated for this year's Triple Crown series at the early nomination deadline of Jan. 29. The number of early nominations slipped 4.3%, or 14 horses, from last year's total of 326.

The nominated group is led by Grade I winners Corniche (Quality Road), Jack Christopher (Munnings), Pinehurst (Twirling Candy) and Rattle N Roll (Connect).

Echo Zulu (Gun Runner), winner of last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and likely 2-year-old champion female, is one of six fillies made eligible for the Triple Crown. Nominees also include a record 21 horses based in Japan, along with two based in Europe and one from Dubai.

Todd Pletcher led all trainers with 42 horses nominated to the Triple Crown, followed by Brad Cox (26), Chad Brown (23), Steve Asmussen (20) and Bob Baffert (18). Baffert is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc. from competing in the 2022 Kentucky Derby.

Anthony Manganaro's Siena Farm is involved in partnerships with 24 horses–12 with the SF Racing LLC, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables LLC, Robert E. Masterson, Jay A. Schoenfarber, Waves Edge Capital LLC, Catherine M. Donovan, Golconda Stable and Stonestreet Stables LLC conglomerate and another dozen in partnership with WinStar Farm and others–to lead all owners.

Gun Runner led all sires with 16 Triple Crown nominations followed by Into Mischief (14), Quality Road (12) and Tapit (11).

There are 250 Kentucky-breds, which represents 80.1% of the nominees. Other states and countries represented are Japan (17), New York (14), Florida (13), Pennsylvania (4), California (3), Canada (3), Ireland (3), Louisiana (2), Maryland (2) and Illinois (1).

Horses not nominated during the early phase can be made eligible online at www.TheTripleCrown.com with a $6,000 late payment due by Mar. 28.

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Grand Sonata Continues Pletcher Parade In Kitten’s Joy

Whisper Hill Farm homebred Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) found racing room when he needed it, surging through an opening in deep stretch to run down stablemate Royal Spirit and win Saturday's $100,000 Kitten's Joy (G3) by a neck at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

The 10th running of the 1 1/16-mile Kitten's Joy on turf was the second of five graded-stakes for 3-year-olds on a program highlighted by the 33rd edition of the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), the next step on the road to the $1 million Florida Derby (G1).

Winner of the one-mile Dania Beach Jan. 1 at Gulfstream in his previous start, Grand Sonata ($13.60) completed the distance in 1:41.53 over a firm course under jockey Tyler Gaffalione to give Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher his second stakes win of the day following My Prankster in the Claiborne Farm Swale (G3).

It was the fifth graded-stakes win over the last two Saturdays for Pletcher, including last weekend's $3 million Pegasus World Cup (G1) and $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf (G1). Overall he has 12 stakes wins at the 2021-2022 Championship Meet, seven of them in graded company.

“I thought he was a little bit overlooked today,” Pletcher said of the winner, sent off as the co-third choice in a field of eight with Royal Spirit. “All his turf races have been good. He had a really tough trip at Aqueduct and didn't get the win but he's a really nice colt, very professional.”

Coinage, winner of the With Anticipation (G3) last summer in his turf debut, was sent to the front by jockey Luis Saez and ran a quarter-mile in 24.03 seconds and a half in 48.22 pressed by Royal Spirit on his right hip. Gaffalione had Grand Sonata settled in third along the rail, with 40-1 long shot Red Knobs on his outside.

“We were concerned there wasn't much pace on paper and Coinage can be tough when he gets loose, so we wanted to be aware of that. The fractions were pretty modest. I thought both horses were in good spots and both finished up well,” Pletcher said. “Actually I thought Royal Spirit might have it for a second, but this horse has a big turn of foot and Tyler knows that. Once he got him in the clear they finished in a rush.”

Royal Spirit moved up to even terms with Coinage exiting the far turn with Gaffalione still looking for room in behind. A couple of openings closed quickly in the stretch before Grand Sonata was able to tip out around Royal Spirit and came with a dramatic late burst to get the edge.

“I had a ton of horse. I had to be patient to wait for a spot. A little crack opened and he hesitated just a little bit, but I had so much horse, he wound up getting through and finished the job nicely,” Gaffalione said. “Mr. Pletcher and I spoke before the race. He said he didn't see much speed in the race and to just follow [Coinage] around there and wait for a spot. When he got out, he really finished well.”

Coinage stayed on for third, 1 ¼ lengths behind Royal Spirit, followed by Eldon's Prince, Red Danger, Speaking Scout, Father Glado and Red Knobs.

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Medaglia d’Oro Colt Gets Out in Time to Take Kitten’s Joy

Whisper Hill Farm homebred Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) got out of a jackpot just in time Saturday to come out on top of Gulfstream's GIII Kitten's Joy S. exacta for the en fuego Todd Pletcher barn. Royal Spirit (Into Mischief) was second best, while favored Coinage (Tapit)–making his first start since finishing ninth in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf–settled for third after showing the way.

Second in his Belmont unveiling to next-out GIII Futurity S. winner Slipstream (More Than Ready) in October, Grand Sonata donned cap and gown around two turns in a Keeneland off-the-turfer Oct. 16. He was a close-up fifth with some trouble in the Big A's Central Park S. Nov. 27, and showed good determination to take the Dania Beach S. by a head here on New Year's Day.

Off at nearly double his 3-1 morning line quote as Coinage took significantly more action that predicted, Grand Sonata broke well from the rail and settled into a good pocket spot behind Coinage and inside of Royal Spirit. Grand Sonata clearly had run after six panels in 1:11.88, but Tyler Gaffalione had to sit patiently and wait for daylight. Boxed in by Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker) when he tried to tip out, Grand Sonata had to hit the brakes, but once Speaking Scout could no longer keep pace, he was free to lengthen his stride and he quickened resolutely to get up by a neck.

“I thought he was a little bit overlooked today,” Pletcher, who saddled the one-two finishers in last Saturday's GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational Turf S., said of the winner. “All his turf races have been good. He had a really tough trip at Aqueduct and didn't get the win, but he's a really nice colt; very professional.”

Pletcher continued, “We were concerned there wasn't much pace on paper and Coinage can be tough when he gets loose, so we wanted to be aware of that. The fractions were pretty modest. I thought both horses were in good spots and both finished up well. Actually, I thought Royal Spirit might have had it for a second, but this horse has a big turn of foot and Tyler knows that. Once he got him in the clear they finished in a rush.”

Gaffalione said, “I had a ton of horse. I had to be patient to wait for a spot. A little crack opened and he hesitated just a little bit, but I had so much horse, he wound up getting through and finished the job nicely. Mr. Pletcher and I spoke before the race. He said he didn't see much speed in the race and to just follow [Coinage] around there and wait for a spot. When he got out, he really finished well.”
Saturday, Gulfstream Park
KITTEN'S JOY S.-GIII, $100,000, Gulfstream, 2-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.53, fm.
1–GRAND SONATA, 123, c, 3, by Medaglia d'Oro
                1st Dam: A. P. Sonata, by A.P. Indy
                2nd Dam: Moonlight Sonata, by Carson City
                3rd Dam: Wheatly Way, by Wheatly Hall
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($125,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP).
O/B-Whisper Hill Farm, LLC; T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Tyler
Gaffalione. $60,140. Lifetime Record: 5-3-1-0, $193,920. Werk
   Nick Rating: A. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Royal Spirit, 118, c, 3, Into Mischief–Don'tforgetaboutme, by
Malibu Moon. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($450,000 Ylg '20
FTKSEL). O-Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable; B-Claiborne Farm
(KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $19,400.
3–Coinage, 123, c, 3, Tapit–Bar of Gold, by Medaglia d'Oro.
($450,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). O-D. J. Stable LLC, Broman, Sr.,
Chester and Broman, Mary; B-Chester Broman & Mary R.
Broman (NY); T-Mark E. Casse. $9,700.
Margins: NK, 1 1/4, HF. Odds: 5.80, 5.20, 1.80.
Also Ran: Eldon's Prince, Red Danger, Speaking Scout, Father Glado, Red Knobs. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
Pedigree Notes:
Grand Sonata is the 86th graded winner by Darley stalwart Medaglia d'Oro–seven of which are out of A.P. Indy mares, including GISWs Plum Pretty and Bolt d'Oro. A.P. Indy is the broodmare sire of an incredible 116 graded/group winners overall.

Mandy Pope's Whisper Hill paid $1.1 million for dam A. P. Sonata, a daughter of GSW Moonlight Sonata and half to Grade II winners Wilburn (Bernardini) and Beethoven (Sky Mesa) as a KEESEP yearling. The late-debuting filly's best finish was a third-place finish going nine furlongs on the Keeneland dirt.

Grand Sonata's full-sister of 2017 died in 2019, as did A. P. Sonata.

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My Prankster Scores Black Type With Gutsy Swale Victory

Robert and Lawana Low's My Prankster earned his first stakes victory Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., rallying from off the pace to win the $100,000 Claiborne Farm Swale (G3).

The seven-furlong Swale was the first of five graded stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday's program that was headlined by the $250,000 Holy Bull (G3), the first graded stakes on the Road to the Curlin Florida Derby (G1).

Although he lived up to his even-money favoritism with a gutsy half-length victory in the Swale, My Prankster isn't a likely candidate for Gulfstream's premier 1 1/8-mile Triple Crown prep.

“We'll play it by ear,” Pletcher said. “He gives me the impression that he's a one-turn horse, but we won't rule anything out yet.”

My Prankster, who was coming off a Dec. 10 optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream after finishing second in the six-furlong Bowman Mill at Keeneland, broke from the rail post position and was outrun early as In Dreams took immediate command. The Brad Cox-trained frontrunner went on to set fractions of 22.36 and 44.87 seconds for the first half-mile. Leading jockey Luis Saez took My Prankster to the outside on the backstretch and the son of Into Mischief made steady progress to enter contention on the far turn. Dean Delivers and jockey Miguel Vasquez moved alongside the tiring pacesetter on the turn into the homestretch as My Prankster pulled alongside him while making a three-wide sweep. Dean Delivers fought on gamely through the stretch but was unable to hold off the Pletcher-trained favorite.

“We were concerned about the '1' draw. It cost him a little position early and you could see when he was getting dirt in his face, he wasn't liking it. He was climbing the first eighth of a mile,” Pletcher said. “Luis was able to get him out in the clear. The key part of the race, in the middle of the turn, he put in a big run to catch up.”

My Prankster ran seven furlongs in 1:23.13 to register his third victory in five starts.

“Luis said he got there a little sooner than he wanted and he idled a little when he made the lead, but it was another professional effort. He's a nice horse,” Pletcher said.

Saez entered the Swale with a lot of confidence.

“The [last] work was pretty good, pretty easy. I felt like he was ready for this race,” Saez said. “He always tries. He's an honest horse. I'm so glad to be part of the team.”

My Prankster, a $600,000 yearling purchase at the 2020 Keeneland September sale, won his debut by 10 lengths at Saratoga Aug. 21 at 6 ½ furlongs before finishing a well-beaten fourth in the mile Champagne (G1) at Belmont. The Kentucky-bred was narrowly beat in the Bowman Mills while cutting back in distance before returning to the winner's circle in his first two races during Gulfstream's Championship Meet.

Dean Delivers finished 2 ½ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Of a Revolution.

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