Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Into Mischief Colt Takes Swale

'TDN Rising Star' MY PRANKSTER (c, 3, Into Mischief–My Wandy's Girl, by Flower Alley), last seen taking a Gulfstream optional claimer going a furlong shorter Dec. 10, returned to stakes company and made the grade in Saturday's GIII Swale S. at Gulfstream. Off as the 8-5 second choice, the $600,000 FTKSEL yearling was away slowly from the rail and was hard ridden in second last down the backside. He came alive and circled up three deep around the bend, continued on wider into the lane and out-gamed Dean Delivers (Cajun Breeze) by a half-length. He stopped the clock in 1:23.13. Sales history: $600,000 ylg '20 FTKSEL.
O-Robert & Lawana Low. B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (Ky). T-Todd Pletcher.

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Not This Time Colt Super Impressive at Gulfstream

9th-Gulfstream, $54,000, Alw (NW1$X)/Opt. Clm ($75,000), 2-4, 3yo, 1m, 1:35.97, ft, 5 3/4 lengths.

IN DUE TIME (c, 3, Not This Time–Sweet Sweet Annie, by Curlin), a debut winner in the Monmouth mud July 18, returned from the bench to finish third, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, behind the two-for-two Dean's List (Speightstown) going six furlongs at Gulfstream Jan. 8. In Due Time fired a five-furlong bullet in 1:00 1/5 (1/19) at Palm Meadows Jan. 28 and meant business at an overlooked 10-1 here.

Drawn on the rail, he traveled nicely on the inside in third beneath Paco Lopez as heavily favored 'TDN Rising Star' American Icon (Gun Runner) was hounded through opening fractions of :23.27 and :45.78. In Due Time rolled up four wide approaching the quarter pole as American Icon was already all in. The chestnut took off with authority as they straightened and won going away by an eye-catching 5 3/4 lengths. The Todd Pletcher-trained American Icon held second at 4-5 by 1 1/2 lengths over his stablemate and fellow impressive debut winner Iron Works (Distorted Humor).

“We couldn't have asked for it to set up better, Paco [Lopez] rode a good race and we have a nice horse,” trainer Kelly Breen said. “I don't know if he's a Fountain of Youth, Florida Derby [horse] or what we are going to do with him. All options are open.”

Breen continued, “Our game plan after Monmouth Park was to give him some time. He had a very tough race in his first race. And with time, if he were to be this good, we talked about being on the Derby trail. But in his first race back he didn't win, but he needed the race. We'll see how he comes out of this race, but it was very professional. He did everything right.”

The winner's dam produced a colt by West Coast in 2020 and a colt by American Freedom in 2021. She was bred to West Coast for 2022. Sales history: $9,500 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $35,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $95,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-1, $73,380. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Edge Racing; B-Gary & Mary West Stables Inc. (KY); T-Kelly J. Breen.

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Coinage Looks to Rebound in Kitten’s Joy

Looking to start off his 2022 campaign in the winner's circle, Coinage (Tapit) will be facing a competitive field of sophomores in Gulfstream Park's GIII Kitten's Joy S. on Saturday.

Stakes-placed on dirt in Saratoga's NY-bred Rick Violette S. in July, the $450,000 KEESEP purchase took to the turf and two turns with ease, capturing the GIII With Anticipation S. at the Spa in September in his first try over the surface and a route of ground. The colt was a bothered third in the Sept. 26 Nownownow S. at Monmouth Park and was last seen finishing ninth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 5 after breaking outwardly and weakening late. The Mark Casse runner enters off a bullet work at Palm Meadows Jan. 28, going five furlongs on grass in 1:00 flat, and has picked up the services of Luis Saez.

“At Monmouth, he had some trouble at the start. He kind of stumbled and didn't get away from there,” Casse said of his colt's recent bout of bad racing luck. “In the Breeders' Cup, it was probably just more about post position. When you go around at Del Mar going a mile and you draw outside, it's kind of brutal. He just had a tough trip. We're just trying to get him back and, hopefully, he'll have a little luck this time.”

Grand Sonata (Medaglia d'Oro) looks to spoil those plans from the rail, last seen winning the Jan 1. Dania Beach S. at this venue after a slow start. The Whisper Hill homebred checked in second to next-out GIII Futurity S. winner Slipstream (More Than Ready) on debut at Belmont in September and broke his maiden next out in an off-the-turf event going two turns at Keeneland Oct. 16. Bumped around at the start of Aqueduct's Central Park S. on the grass Nov. 27, the dark bay was checked hard and asked to close from last to grab fifth. He is joined in the gate by stablemate and Nownownow runner-up Royal Spirit (Into Mischief), who enters off a 1 1/4-length graduation last out in Hallandale Jan. 2.

On the far outside, Red Danger (Orb) looks to pick up his first graded stakes victory and third black-type score overall. A winner sprinting on the turf in both his maiden breaking score Aug. 11 at Saratoga and when winning the Sept. 9 Global Tote Juvenile Turf Sprint S. at Kentucky Downs, he'll be looking to break through at this distance after previously finishing fourth in the GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. Oct. 10 at Keeneland and second in the Oct. 31 Street Sense S. on the main track underneath the Twin Spires. He was last seen closing his 2-year-old campaign in winning style in the Pulpit S. at Gulfstream Park, a race where Speaking Scout (Mr Speaker) finished second for the Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

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Derby Trail Heats Up in South Florida

Led by last term's hard-fought GII Remsen S. winner Mo Donegal (Uncle Mo), a deep field of nine will line up for Saturday's GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Donegal Racing and trained by Todd Pletcher, Mo Donegal outslugged Zandon (Upstart) by a nose after a roughly run stretch drive while making his stakes debut in that aforementioned 1 1/8-mile affair at Aqueduct last time Dec. 4.

“We decided that the Holy Bull was the right starting point,” Pletcher said. “It gives us plenty of options. If he were to run well, we still have the [GII Fasig-Tipton] Fountain of Youth [Mar. 5] to come back in if we wanted to or we could train up to the [GI Curlin] Florida Derby [Apr. 2] like we did with Audible. We kind of felt like it put us in a position to have the most options.”

Pletcher added of the 5-2 morning-line favorite, “I'm really pleased with his training since he came here after the Remsen. We targeted this right away and, knock on wood, thankfully everything has gone according to schedule. He has not missed a beat since he's been here.”

Giant Game (Giant's Causeway) outran his 21-1 odds to complete the trifecta in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile at Del Mar most recently Nov. 5. He previously defeated subsequent GIII Lecomte S. upsetter Call Me Midnight (Midnight Lute) by three lengths in his Keeneland maiden breaker at this same 1 1/16 miles distance Oct. 9.

Tiz the Bomb (Hit It a Bomb) returns to dirt after rallying from far back to cross the line a troubled second in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Last term's GII Castle & Key Bourbon S. and Kentucky Downs Juvenile Mile S. winner graduated by 14 1/4 lengths in his most recent attempt on dirt in an Ellis Park off-the -turfer last July.

“I thought it was somewhat of an unlucky trip, but he still ran well,” trainer Ken McPeek said of Tiz the Bomb's Breeders' Cup effort. “It was a respectable run. He ran a good race; he split horses and came flying late. The other horse got a little bit of a jump on him.”

The Florida-bred Simplification (Not This Time) could have things his own way on the front end in his two-turn debut here after wiring the one-turn mile Mucho Macho Man S. Jan. 1.

The Holy Bull offers 10-4-2-1 points on the road to the GI Kentucky Derby.

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