Todd Pletcher | Horse Racing Free Tips

Sunday Insights: $675K Uncle Mo Debuts at Gulfstream

3rd-GP, $50K, Msw, 2yo, 5f, 1:05p.m.
Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith’s SHAFTESBURY (Uncle Mo) kicks off his career for Todd Pletcher, who already owns 16 training titles at the South Florida oval. Out of the stakes-winning Lemon Kiss (Lemon Drop Kid), the $675,000 KEESEP yearling purchase is a half-sibling to Grade I-winner Lochte (Medaglia d’Oro). TJCIS PPs

7th-GP, $50K, Msw, 2yo, f, 7f, 3:08p.m.
Todd Pletcher sends out a pair of wel-bred first-time starters, led by Charles Fipke’s UNBRIDLED D’ORO (Medaglia d’Oro). The homebred is a the first foal out of GI Ballerina S. heroine Unbridled Forever (Unbridled’s Song), herself a daughter of GI Kentucky Oaks winner Lemons Forever (Lemon Drop Kid). Pletcher also saddles Shadwell homebred Zaajel (Street Sense). Dam Asiya (Daaher) is responsible for dual graded placed Ajaaweed (Curlin). Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott is represented by James Karp’s first-time starter Mail Order (Liam’s Map). The Ontario-bred is a $300,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga sale graduate, the co-third highest priced yearling of 78 offspring by the sire sold in 2019. TJCIS PPs

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‘Right Opportunity’: Distance Should Suit Always Shopping In Saturday’s Via Borghese

Always Shopping, a stakes winner on turf and dirt, and stablemate Cap de Creus, seeking her first career stakes victory, will line up together for the first time in Saturday's $100,000 Via Borghese at Gulfstream Park.

The 3 1/6-mile Via Borghese for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass will be the fourth stakes try for Gainesway Stable's Cap de Creus, exiting a fifth in the 1 ½-mile Zagora Oct. 31 over a yielding course at Belmont Park.

A 4-year-old daughter of Tapit, Cap de Creus ran four times during last winter's Championship Meet, running second in a pair of allowances by a half-length combined and finishing eighth in the The Very One (G3) and fourth in the Orchid (G3).

Overall, Cap de Creus has finished third or better in 10 of 18 starts. Hall of Famer John Velazquez will ride from Post 4 in a field of nine.

“Cap de Creus has consistently run well and we're trying to get some black type by her name. She's certainly run well enough to deserve it, she just hasn't quite done it,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Always Shopping is coming off a couple of really good efforts and the distance should suit her. I'm happy with both of them.”

Winner of the 2019 Gazelle (G2) last April over Aqueduct's main track, Repole Stable's 4-year-old Always Shopping made her grass debut running fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Treasure Coast June 7 and won the 1 1/16-mile Monroe Sept. 7, both over the Gulfstream turf. She was beaten a head when second in the 1 ½-mile Dowager (G3) last out Oct. 18 at Keeneland.

“We always kind of had [turf] in the back of our mind; we were just kind of looking for the right opportunity,” Pletcher said. “She's a filly that wants a lot of distance and, obviously, there's more opportunities for those types on the turf.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Always Shopping from Post 8.

In a loaded edition of the $100,000 Mr. Prospector (G3) featuring Grade 1 winners Firenze Fire and Mind Control and defending champion Diamond Oops, Pletcher will send out Shadwell Stable homebred Haikal.

The seven-furlong Mr. Prospector will be the first start for Haikal since running fifth in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) Feb. 29 for previous trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Haikal joined Pletcher after McLaughlin retired to become jockey agent for Luis Saez, and the 4-year-old colt has been training steadily at Palm Beach Downs for his return.

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Union Rags Colt Sharp on Debut at Gulfstream

7th-Gulfstream, $40,000, Msw, 12-17, 3yo/up, 6f, 1:10.13, ft, 7 lengths.
ARHAM (c, 3, Union Rags–Sanaaya, by Smart Strike) beat up on his four rivals for a sharp debut score here. Ridden hard from the outset after bumping a rival at the start, the 3-5 favorite forced the issue from the outside in second, cruised up to challenge for the top slot as they hit the quarter pole and proved much the best from there, romping by seven lengths over Catch On Emotional (Uncaptured). Sanaaya, a daughter of MGISW Spun Sugar (Awesome Again), is also represented by the unraced 2-year-old colt Ershaadaat (Frosted), a yearling filly by Honor Code and a Union Rags filly of this year. She was bred back to Mohaymen. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O-Shadwell Stable; B-Shadwell Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Pegasus Turf Contender? Social Paranoia Scores Off The Layoff For Pletcher

The Elkstone Group LLC's Social Paranoia distinguished himself as a serious candidate for the $1 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (G1), scheduled for Jan. 23 at Gulfstream Park, with a gutsy triumph in Wednesday's feature race at the Hallandale Beach, Fla. track.

The 4-year-old son of Street Boss, sent to post at the even-money favorite in a field of nine, came off a five-month layoff to score a hard-fought half-length victory in the 7 ½-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf.

“It's always nice to have a win off a layoff like that. He came back and we got a quality win out of him. We were hoping for a good effort,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “We'll see how he comes out of it and maybe keep an eye on the Pegasus Turf.”

Social Paranoia joined Pletcher trained Largent, the winner of last Saturday's Fort Lauderdale (G2) at Gulfstream, on the list of Pegasus Turf candidates. He ran 7 ½ furlongs over a firm course in 1:27.48.

Social Paranoia rated off the early pace before making a five-wide sweep on the turn into the homestretch, outkicking Olympic Runner to the wire while galloping out strongly under Irad Ortiz, Jr.

Wednesday's victory was Social Paranoia's third in four starts over the Gulfstream turf. He broke his maiden by eight lengths in May 2019 and won the Appleton (G3) last March over the grass course.

“It feels great. Todd did a great job getting him ready, but he's won on the layoff before, so I was very confident in Todd,” said The Elkstone Group's Stuart Grant. “We're very excited. As you know we have our eye on late January back here and I think he showed that he deserved a spot there. This is his third win out of four [on Gulfstream turf].”

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