Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Crazy Beautiful Will Try To Follow Swiss Skydiver’s Example In Gulfstream Park Oaks

Trainer Kenny McPeek will be on a quest to win back-to-back runnings of the $200,000 Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) Saturday when he saddles Crazy Beautiful for the 1 1/16-mile stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

Last year, McPeek saddled Swiss Skydiver for a 9-1 upset victory in the Gulfstream Park Oaks that would set the tone for an Eclipse Award-winning campaign that included a victory in the Alabama (G1) at Saratoga and a photo-finish victory over Authentic in the Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico.

The 51st running of the Gulfstream Park Oaks will be among 10 stakes on Saturday's program that will be headlined by the $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale Farm at Xalapa. Saturday's 14-race card will also be highlighted by as mandatory payout of the Rainbow 6 pool, which is expected to swell into the multi-millions should the popular multi-race wager go unsolved through Friday. There will also be guaranteed pools of $750,000 for the Late Pick 5 and Late Pick 4.

The Gulfstream Park Oaks will offer 170 qualifying points for the April 30 Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a 100-40-20-10 basis.

Phoenix Thoroughbred III's Crazy Beautiful is coming off a second-place finish in the Feb. 27 Davona Dale (G2) at Gulfstream. The daughter of Liam's Map rallied from well off the pace in her 2021 debut to finish a distant second to going-away winner Wholebodemeister. She was making her first start since finishing off the board in the Nov. 6 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Keeneland.

“She ran great here. I think that she's training well enough that we should go right now,” McPeek said.

Crazy Beautiful launched her career last summer with back-to-back wins at Ellis Park, including the Debutante Stakes before finishing second in the Pocahontas (G3) at Churchill Downs. The Kentucky-bred filly was favored to win the Alcibiades (G1) at Keeneland but was no match for stablemate Simply Ravishing while finishing second.

Jose Ortiz has the mount aboard Crazy Beautiful, who was rated as the 5-2 morning-line favorite.

Trainer Todd Pletcher is scheduled to saddle Con Lima for a return to dirt in the Oaks. Multiple graded stakes-placed on turf in her two most recent starts, the daughter of Commissioner is hardly heading to foreign territory. The Texas-bred filly, who is owned in a partnership by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, graduated over Gulfstream's main track July 31 after finishing a close second to Wholebodemeister in her debut over a sloppy track three weeks earlier.

“It's something we've been thinking about for a while. Being a graded-stakes and all – and she seems to like Gulfstream – we decided to give it a try,” Pletcher said.

After finishing second behind Simply Ravishing in the off-the-turf P. G. Johnson, Con Lima returned to Gulfstream to finish second in the off-the-turf Our Dear Peggy. Sent around two turns on turf for her next two starts, Con Lima romped to front-running optional claiming allowance victories by open lengths. She showed the way before fading to second in the Jan. 30 Sweetest Chant (G3) and came back to overcome trouble leaving the starting gate to close from far back and finish second in the Herecomesthebride (G3) Feb. 27.

“Her races on the turf have been very good, but she's been consistent on both surfaces,” Pletcher said. “It seemed like the right trip to try it.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the return mount on Con Lima, who is rated second at 3-1 in the morning line.

Competitive Speed, a sprint-stakes winner owned by John Minchello, is scheduled to make her first start around two turns Saturday. The daughter of Competitive Edge is coming off a third-place finish in the one-turn mile Davona Dale, in which she made a wide middle move to challenge front-running Wholebodemeister on the turn into the homestretch before weakening to finish third, 1 ½ lengths behind Crazy Beautiful.

Competitive Speed broke her maiden at Gulfstream Park West last July in her second career start while racing for a $25,000 claiming tag. She came back to win an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream by 4 ½ lengths going away.

“After she won that race, I said, 'Oh, I think we've got something,” trainer Javier Gonzalez said.

Competitive Speed came back to win the 6 ½-furlong Glitter Woman by three lengths before finishing a troubled sixth in the Forward Gal and third in the Davona Dale.

“She's one of those horses that never make you look bad,” Gonzalez said. “She has a big heart in a small package.”

Gonzalez is confident that Competitive Speed will handle two turns.

“I don't think two turns will be a problem for her,” Gonzalez said. “She's been working very good and finishing up strong.”

Leonel Reyes has the return mount aboard Competitive Speed.

Juddmonte Farms Inc.'s Millefeuille will seek to rebound from a seventh-place finish in the Davona Dale Saturday. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of Curlin had previously finished second at Aqueduct in the Dec. 6 Demoiselle, in which she set the pace before falling a half-length short of holding off undefeated Malathaat.

Tyler Gaffalione is scheduled to ride the homebred filly for the first time Saturday.

Trainer Dale Romans, who has saddled the winners of three Gulfstream Park Oaks, is scheduled to saddle Calumet Farm's Bow Bow Girl and Robert Baron's Len Lo Lady for this year's running.

Bow Bow Girl is coming off an impressive maiden score at Gulfstream Park in her third career start. The homebred daughter of Oxbow set a pressured pace before drawing off to win the 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight race by 4 ½ lengths. Len Lo Lady broke her maiden by more than 10 lengths in a $50,000 claiming race prior to finishing third in a mile optional claiming allowance.

Corey Lanerie has the return call on Bow Bow Girl, while Hall of Famer John Velazquez is scheduled to ride Len Lo Lady for the first time.

Dennis Smith and Daniel Walters' Pens Street will seek to improve on a a distant fourth in the Davona Dale last time out.

The Rohan Crichton-trained daughter of Street Sense, who finished first and second in her first two career starts, will be ridden by Miguel Vasquez.

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Known Agenda Tunes Up For Florida Derby With Five-Furlong Breeze

St. Elias Stable's Known Agenda breezed five furlongs in 1:02.52 Saturday morning at Palm Beach Downs, tuning up for next Saturday's $750,000 Curlin Florida Derby (G1) presented by Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla.

“I thought he went great. The first eighth was a little slow. He went off in like 14 (seconds) and went the last half in 48-and-1. He looked good and seemed happy,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I've liked the way he's been training since his last race.”

Known Agenda is coming off a sharp 11-length optional claiming allowance victory Feb. 26 at Gulfstream Park at the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Florida Derby. After getting away last and finishing fifth in the Feb. 6 Sam F. Davis (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, the son of Curlin was equipped with blinkers for the first time for his last start.

Known Agenda holds the distinction of owning a decision over likely Florida Derby favorite Greatest Honour, whom he defeated by a head while graduating in a 1 1/8-mile maiden special weight race Nov. 8 at Aqueduct.

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the mount.

At Gulfstream Park West, Papetu, who finished third in the Fountain of Youth following a very wide trip, breezed five furlongs in 1:12.80 Saturday morning in preparation for the Florida Derby. Sigiloso, a stablemate of Papetu, in the Antonio Sano barn, Siglioso was timed in 1:13.80 for five furlongs for the Florida Derby. Gustavo Delgado-trained Jirafales, who finished fifth in the Fountain of Youth following an awkward start, breezed five furlongs in 1:13.20.

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Pegasus Turf Winner Colonel Liam Adds Muniz Memorial Classic To Resume

Colonel Liam, favored at 3-5 after winning the Grade 1 Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January, reeled in pacesetter Two Emmys in mid-stretch and went on to a 1 1/2-length victory in Saturday's Grade 2, $300,000 Muniz Memorial Classic Stakes at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, La.

Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. for Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Liam's Map colt ran 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48.33 and paid $3.40 to win. The Muniz was the fifth victory in seven starts for the Robert and Lawana Low runner, who was bred in Kentucky by Phillips Racing Partnership and purchased for $1.2 million as a 2-year-old at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Co.'s April sale.

Two Emmys held second, with Logical Myth 3 1/2 lengths back third and Pixelate fourth in the field of 10 older runners. Factor This and Cross Border were scratched.

Ortiz had Colonel Liam in fourth position along the rail in the early going, then gained on Two Emmys while saving ground approaching the far turn. Colonel Liam came off the rail on the turn, engaged with Two Emmys and gradually pulling away under left-handed encouragement from his rider.

Colonel Liam was the 5-2 favorite in the Pegasus Turf, edging Pletcher stablemate Largent by a neck. That was his first graded victory, coming off a win in the listed Tropical Park Derby in late December at Gulfstream.

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Maiden Winner With ‘Un’-Tapped Potential

The GI Kentucky Derby-bound Helium (Ironicus) wasn't the only 3-year-old colt to impress on the GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby card Mar. 6.

Untreated (Nyquist) put on a show earlier that day as well, graduating by a pole for Todd Pletcher at second asking with a flashy, come-from-behind maiden tally in his two-turn debut (video). He earned a very solid 86 Beyer Speed Figure.

A well-beaten sixth as the 4-5 favorite behind next out GIII Sam F. Davis S. winner Candy Man Rocket (Candy Ride {Arg}) going six furlongs in his unveiling for the late Paul Pompa, Jr. and trainer Chad Brown at Gulfstream Jan. 9, Untreated brought $300,000 from bloodstock agent Steve Young on behalf of Team Valor just five days later at the Keeneland January Sale. He was previously a $550,000 Keeneland September Yearling purchase, the most expensive of 44 yearlings from the first crop of promising young sire Nyquist to switch hands.

“The bottom line is, we got lucky,” Team Valor head Barry Irwin said. “Everybody knew about the horse before he ran. I was prepared to go to what he cost as a yearling, $550,000, and we got him for $300,000. Steve Young, who I've known pretty well for years, is the one who pushed me to buy the horse.”

That must have been one heck of a push considering Irwin's recent words regarding the current state of affairs for racing in this country and his plans for his longtime partnership to compete predominantly abroad going forward.

“I do not like racing in America anymore at this time,” Irwin said. “I am sick of it. The only horse I bought the previous year to stay here was [GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity and GI Arkansas Derby second and 'TDN Rising Star'] Gouverneur Morris [by Constitution]. I can't stand this crap that's going on. But this horse was very intriguing.”

Untreated came out firing once joining Pletcher's Palm Beach Downs string, highlighted by a trio of bullet workouts. He did, however, have a gap between his Jan. 30 and Feb. 20 breezes.

“His first work was a bullet work, but the guy had to tap him on the shoulder to get him to gallop out,” Irwin said. “The next work, another bullet work, but he can't even gallop out a furlong this time. He gets back [to the barn] and he's got an entrapped epiglottis. Now, I would be willing to bet, based on my experience with that, that this horse was already starting to do this when Chad him, but didn't show enough evidence of it yet. So, we got lucky. We had Dr. Yarborough do the procedure in his stall.”

Irwin continued, “It worked and his next two works were just unbelievable. Especially the last one. We knew we had something.”

Drawn wide in post eight in his first try for Team Valor and Pletcher, Untreated was about three deep while rounding the clubhouse turn and raced near the rear heading into the backstretch. The bay traveled nicely from there and launched an eye-catching, four-wide move leaving the four-furlong marker into third. He took over with ease approaching the top of the stretch and increased his margin to the wire, scoring by 8 3/4 lengths. The final time of 1:39.17 was just a few ticks off the Tampa track record of 1:38 3/5 for a mile and 40 yards.

“We were thrilled to see how he did it,” Irwin said.

Untreated is out of the graded-stakes placed Unbridled's Song mare Fully Living and is from the same family of champion Halfbridled (Unbridled). He was co-bred in Kentucky by Ashview Farm and Old Oak Farm.

Untreated is scheduled to return to the worktab Saturday, per Irwin.

Will we see him in a Derby prep next time out?

“I'll quote Mr. Todd Pletcher, 'We're gonna let the horse lead us to that decision,'” Irwin responded. “If we do the conservative thing, we'll look to run him in a small race somewhere. If we want to go crazy, we'll look at either the [GII Toyota] Blue Grass [at Keeneland Apr. 3] or [GII] Wood [Memorial at Aqueduct Apr. 3].”

Irwin concluded, “The problem is, he was ready to run in a prep race for the Tampa Bay Derby. If we had gotten that prep race in, then we'd be in a nice spot. Now, we have to be Big Brown in order to pull off something like that [make the Kentucky Derby]. My clients, by in large, are all dreamers and the Derby is the ultimate lure.”

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