Tag: Todd Pletcher

Wet Paint Surges Late to Claim the CCA Oaks

Favored to earn her first taste of Classic glory in the GI Kentucky Oaks in May, Godolphin's Wet Paint (Blame) could only manage a fourth-place finish behind stablemate Pretty Mischievous (Into Mischief). Fast forward through a runner-up effort in Ellis's Monomoy Girl S. last month followed by a trek to upstate New York, the bay finally bagged her own Grade I, taking Saturday's Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga.

“She's a super consistent filly who always comes running,” said trainer Brad Cox, who won the 2018 renewal of the Oaks with subsequent champion Monomoy Girl. “Her run in the [Kentucky] Oaks was good and her last race at Ellis was probably better than it looked on paper running against a huge bias with no pace. I'm glad she stepped up and finally got that Grade I–that was big for her.”

GSW Southlawn (Pioneerof the Nile) stumbled dramatically leaving the innermost stall, spotting the field several lengths while 14-1 chance She's Lookin Lucky (Lookin At Lucky) and Sacred Wish (Not This Time) enjoyed cleaner starts and proceeded directly to the head of affairs. In the meantime, Wet Paint was unhurried in last, about four lengths off of She's Lookin Lucky, who registered a comfortable opening quarter in :24.67 as Sacred Wish and the awkward starting Southlawn pursued in second and third, respectively. Still content to linger out back through an equally modest half in :48.81, Wet Paint launched her bid heading to the quarter pole as Sacred Wish forged to the front and appeared to be en route to victory. Wet Paint, however, had other ideas. Fanned out several paths wide straightening for home, the 7-5 second choice slowly reeled in game leader in the final jumps and nailed her rival by a neck at the wire. Favored Gambling Girl was a long way back in third, finishing ahead of She's Lookin Lucky and Southlawn.

“She closes into soft paces like she did today, she closes into a fast pace,” said Cox. “This is her thing in regards to just kind of flopping out of the gate and finding her way and finishing up. I told Flavien [Prat] today, 'Just ride her like a turf horse.' He knows what to do and you don't have to tell him anything. That's really what it comes down to–just let her break and kind of find her way around there, and when she starts picking up, just keep her out of trouble.”

Added Prat, “Turning for home I thought I was going to win, at the eighth pole I was questioning it, and then she finally found another gear to get by that filly. We went slow and we really picked it up and the filly of George Weaver's kept on going, but she was able to get the win.”

Hoosier Philly (Into Mischief) was scratched the morning of the race after sustaining a minor foot issue, via a Tweet posted by trainer Tom Amoss Saturday morning.

“Hoosier Philly was not herself this morning with a minor foot issue. Out of an abundance of caution, agreement with the state vets, & doing the right thing by her, she will be withdrawn from the CCAO. We look forward to getting back to the track in the future.”

On the board in two of three starts last season, Wet Paint kicked off the season with a win in Oaklawn's Martha Washington S. before adding wins in a sloppy renewal of the GIII Honeybee S. and GIII Fantasy S. ahead of her Classic bid.

Cox said Wet Paint will likely target the 10-furlong GI Alabama S. Aug. 19 at the Spa.

“That's the logical spot moving forward,” Cox said. “We'll talk it over with the Godolphin team, but I think a mile and a quarter is definitely something she's going to be able to handle based off her running style and showing today that she likes Saratoga.”

 

Pedigree Notes:
Wet Paint is one of 21 graded winners and 45 black-type winners for Claiborne's Blame, who also has six winners at the highest level. Three of those six Grade I winners are out of Mr. Prospector-line broodmare sires, making them inbred to that prolific Claiborne stalwart. Wet Paint herself is 4×4 to Mr. Prospector and her damsire, Darley's late Street Cry (Ire), is responsible for 140 stakes winners out of his daughters. The CCA Oaks winner is Blame's second Grade I winner at the Spa following Marley's Freedom, who won the 2018 Ballerina S.

A second-generation Godolphin homebred after Darley acquired the family from Stonerside, Wet Paint has a yearling half-sister by Medaglia d'Oro. Dam Sky Painter, who hails from the same family as 2020 GII Del Mar Derby winner Pixelate (City Zip) and whose third dam is four-time GISW Nastique (Naskra), most recently produced a filly by Not This Time Apr. 26.

 

Saturday, Saratoga
COACHING CLUB AMERICAN OAKS-GI, $485,000, Saratoga,
7-22, 3yo, f, 1 1/8m, 1:50.68, ft.
1–WET PAINT, 121, f, 3, by Blame
                1st Dam: Sky Painter (GSP, $169,755), by Street Cry (Ire)
                2nd Dam: Skylighter, by Sky Mesa
                3rd Dam: Painted Lady, by Broad Brush
1ST GRADE I WIN. O/B-Godolphin (KY); T-Brad H. Cox; J-Flavien Prat. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 9-5-2-0, $1,057,175. Werk Nick Rating: F. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Sacred Wish, 121, f, 3, by Not This Time– Indian Wish, by Indian Charlie. 1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($80,000 Wlg '20 KEENOV; $70,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $50,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Black Type Thoroughbreds, Swinbank Stables, Steve Adkisson, Christopher T. Dunn and Anthony Spinazzola; B-John Penn (KY); T-George Weaver. $100,000.
3–Gambling Girl, 121, f, 3, by Dialed In–Tulipmania, by Empire Maker. ($200,000 Ylg '21 SARAUG). O-Repole Stable; B-Gallagher's Stud (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $60,000.
Margins: NK, 8HF, HF. Odds: 1.45, 10.80, 1.20.
Also Ran: She's Lookin Lucky, Southlawn. Scratched: Hoosier Philly.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.

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So Noted: Pletcher, Repole Team Up For Saratoga Maiden Win On Grass

by Bill Finley and Stefanie Grimm

Mike Repole has had dozens of top horses and has won a slew of 2-year-old maiden races in Saratoga over the many years he's been a force in the ownership ranks. But, usually, Repole's strength is with young dirt horses. It might be time to rethink that.

Repole is the co-owner of what is arguably the top grass horse in the sport in the 4-year-old Up to the Mark, the winner of this year's GI Turf Classic S. at Churchill Downs and the GI Manhattan S. at Belmont. And now he's got another one that could some day follow in his footsteps.

The team of Repole, Todd Pletcher and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. teamed up to win Saturday's first race at Saratoga, a mile-and-a-sixteenth maiden special weight race on the grass with a $136,500 purse with 3-5 favorite Noted (Cairo Prince). A $200,000 Keeneland September purchase, it was his second career start after he finished second in his debut in a five-furlong turf maiden at Belmont. Clearly relishing the stretch out in distance, Noted stalked the pace set by Fortune Seller (Kitten's Joy) before grabbing the lead at the top of the stretch. Noted edged clear of Fortune Seller at the sixteenth pole and then had to hold off a bid from Spirit Prince (Cairo Prince), who was making his debut for trainer Christophe Clement. Sons of Cairo Prince finished one-two.

“We entered him in a dirt race that didn't fill, so we opted to try the turf,” Pletcher said. “He had enough pedigree to suggest he would take to the turf.”

“I was happy with the win,” Repole said. “He needed more ground after his first start. He was training well on the dirt but we decided to try him on the turf early on. I think it's paying dividends.”

Bred by Brereton C. Jones, Noted is out of Sea View Millie (Proud Citizen) and was the dam's first winner.

Pletcher said the GIII With Anticipation S. on Aug. 31 would be next for Noted.

Pletcher has still another top turf horse in his barn in the 3-year-old Far Bridge (English Channel), who is owned by LSU Stables. Far Bridge is coming off a win in the GI Belmont Derby Invitational S.

Out of a full-sister to MGSW Mark Valeski and a half to GSW & GI Haskell Invitational S. runner up Albano (Istan), Noted has a yearling half-sister by Global Campaign while his dam reported a filly by Upstart this spring.

1st-Saratoga, $105,000, Msw, 7-22, 2yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:46.57, gd, 1/2 length.
NOTED (c, 2, Cairo Prince–Sea View Millie, by Proud Citizen)    Sales History: $200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $75,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Repole Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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Saratoga Notebook: Hit Show, Angel of Empire Work Ahead of Jim Dandy

GSWs Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}) and Angel of Empire (Classic Empire) breezed five furlongs in company over Saratoga's Oklahoma dirt training track Saturday as both horses prepare for the July 29 GII Jim Dandy S. at the Spa.

Under clear skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, the Brad Cox-trained pair stepped onto the fast track right at 5:30 a.m. with Flavien Prat aboard Angel of Empire and Luis Saez on Hit Show. The two walked in tandem midway up the stretch before turning back around to assume their starting position. Angel of Empire was positioned to the inside of Hit Show with the two completing their exercise on nearly even terms.

Cox said this week's work was almost identical to their July 14 work when the two covered five-eighths in 1:00.90.

“I had them in a minute and four [fifths] this weekend and last,” he said. “It was really good and very similar to what we saw last week. I loved that work and I loved this work. They work well together and it went so well last week, I didn't want to change much. I was very happy with what we saw.”

Gary and Mary West's Hit Show and Albaugh Family Stables' Angel of Empire were last seen dead-heating for fourth in the GI Belmont S. Hit Show won the GIII Withers S. in February before a runner-up effort in the Apr. 8 GII Wood Memorial, while Angel of Empire took the Feb. 18 GII Risen Star S. at Fair Grounds followed by the Apr. 1 GI Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn Park. He subsequently finished third in the GI Kentucky Derby.

Also Working at Saratoga Saturday..
Saturday morning's work tab also featured MGISW Caravel (Mizzen Mast), who went a half-mile solo over the Oklahoma turf training track ahead of an anticipated start against males in the GIII Troy S. Aug. 5. The 2022 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint champion worked just after 10 a.m. under regular exercise rider Kelvin Perez.

The 6-year-old previously posted a half-mile breeze in :48.88 on July 15.

“It was really good and again, it was similar to last week,” affirmed trainer Brad Cox. “I was super happy this morning. Kelvin [Perez] was on her and does a great job with her. He was on her last year. She's very professional.”

Trainer Todd Pletcher also sent out Stonestreet Stables' homebred Julia Shining (Curlin) to a half-mile move in :50.22 over the main track Saturday morning. The full-sister to dual Champion Malathaat was last seen finishing third in the GI Ashland S. in April at Keeneland.

According to Pletcher, the GII Demoiselle S. winner may make her next start in 10-furlong GI Alabama S. Aug. 19 at Saratoga.

“She's really starting to come around. She's just getting going but looking good so far,” Pletcher said. “You never know, the Alabama might be in play if things were to go perfectly. The one thing is I know she wants the mile and a quarter. If she wants it under that scenario having not run since the Ashland is the question.”

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Blinkers On For Forte

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's  Forte (Violence) worked in blinkers Saturday morning at Saratoga Race Course and Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher said the colt will have them on in the GII Jim Dandy on July 29.

“We just want to get him a little bit more locked in,” he said.

Pletcher described the small blinker is a French cup with some holes in it.

Under jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., Forte, who worked in company with MGSW Emmanuel, breezed a half-mile on the main track in :50. Emmanuel remains on target for the Aug. 12 GI Fourstardave H.

Pletcher said he was happy with Forte's work.

“I thought he went really well,” he said.  “He was enjoying himself out there.”

It was Forte's second breeze this summer at Saratoga after covering a half-mile in :48.90 July 14.

“I feel like he lost focus a little bit in the [GI] Florida Derby in the middle of the turn and in the [GI] Belmont. It might have cost him the Belmont,” Pletcher said.

He continued, “Irad and I had a conversation after that work about possibly trying some blinkers on him. We galloped him in them one day this week and it seemed like that went fine. Irad felt like he was a little more focused on what he was asking him to do rather than what the horse next to him was doing. If we were going to try an equipment change, we felt like the Jim Dandy would be the race to do it in and not wait until the Travers if we felt we needed to make a change.”

Forte has won six of eight career starts and was the 2-year-old male champion last year after compiling consecutive Grade I victories in the Hopeful, the Breeders' Futurity and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile.

He opened his 2023 campaign with a 4 1/2-length victory in the GI Fountain of Youth. In the Florida Derby he made a huge rally in the stretch to overtake Mage (Good Magic) and win by one length. Forte, the morning-line favorite, was scratched from the Kentucky Derby the morning of the race because of a bruised foot. He was second in the Belmont, 1 1/2 lengths behind Arcangelo (Arrogate).

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