Pletcher breezes quartet targeting G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic

• Pletcher breezes quartet targeting G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic
• Dorth Vader breezes for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
• Dry Powder drills at Belmont for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff
• Boca Queen stretches out in G2 Sands Point
• With the Angels successful in Thursday return at Belmont at the Big A

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a quartet of workers targeting the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Classic, including Fierceness, Mindframe, Antiquarian and Locked, on Friday over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course.

Mindframe breezed to the inside of Locked shortly after the first renovation break and the pair covered five furlongs in 1:01.49, according to NYRA clockers. Mindframe edged clear of the September 27 Grade 2 Woodward-winner Locked just before the wire, galloping out in front and strongly through the turn.

“I thought Mindframe went super,” Pletcher said. “He had a really strong gallop out. Locked, since he’s run more recently, we weren’t looking for quite as much on the gallop out from him, but I thought they both went well.”

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables’ Mindframe was 3-for-3 this year with a pair of Grade 1 wins entering his last race in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup on August 31 at Saratoga. The 4-year-old Constitution dark bay was on the receiving end of a chain reaction of bumping caused by Phileas Fogg and lost jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. shortly into the 10-furlong race.

“I don’t know how to quantify exactly what he got out of the Jockey Club from a fitness perspective and an actual true race,” Pletcher said. “We felt like we needed a little more from him [in training]. We’ve gotten some good works and good gallop outs, so I think we have accomplished what we were hoping to from a fitness perspective.”

Pletcher confirmed Locked, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, is currently targeting the Breeders’ Cup Classic rather than the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile.

Fierceness breezed to the inside of Antiquarian following the second renovation break and the pair were on even terms as they covered five furlongs in 1:00.56, according to NYRA clockers. Both horses captured 10-furlong Grade 1s last out, the Pacific Classic on August 30 at Del Mar for Fierceness and the aforementioned Jockey Club Gold Cup for Antiquarian.

“Just another ‘typical of what we’ve seen from him [Fierceness].’ Every breeze, he just does things very effortlessly,” said Pletcher. “He looked good coming to the wire, stayed on, galloped out nicely. We wanted to match him up with a little stronger mate today, to get a good solid work.

“I thought [Antiquarian] responded well. He stayed on course and galloped out nicely, a good work from both of them,” Pletcher added.

Centennial Farms’ Antiquarian, a 4-year-old Preservationist chestnut, broke through at the top-level and earned a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, inching close to millionaire status with $944,100 banked through a 9-4-3-0 record.

“We felt like with all four horses, today was the sternest work we were going to look for. They are going to ship next week, we won’t look to do quite as much next week,” Pletcher said, confirming that the four Breeders’ Cup Classic contenders will work again at the Spa next week before shipping.

Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael Tabor and Mrs. John Magnier’s Fierceness was a 1 1/2-length second in last year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic to Sierra Leone.

“It is always comforting to know that he appears to like the surface out there, two good races there gives you optimism,” Pletcher said.

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Dorth Vader breezes for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff

John Ropes’ Grade 1-winning Florida homebred Dorth Vader breezed a half-mile in 48.53 seconds, according to NYRA Clockers, on Friday over the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 1 at Del Mar.

“She went fine,” trainer George Weaver said of the work. “Finished up in 23 and change, galloped out well. Came back good. Scoped good.”

The 5-year-old Girvin dark bay last contested the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 23 at the Spa, where she landed a nose behind reigning Horse of the Year and 2024 Breeders’ Cup Distaff-winner Thorpedo Anna, who retired from racing earlier this week.

Dorth Vader earned a “Win and You’re In” berth to the Distaff from her 4 3/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford on June 6 at the Spa. She followed that performance with a fourth in the Grade 3 Molly Pitcher in July at Monmouth Park and her aforementioned Personal Ensign second, which registered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.

“As a trainer going for a big race, you don’t wish ill on anybody else, but obviously you are like ‘Oh, well there is one good one [Thorpedo Anna] we don’t have to knock heads with,’ but look, I fully anticipate this is going to be like any other Breeders’ Cup race: tough to win,” Weaver said. “She certainly deserves a chance and we are just excited to have one good enough to go out there and have a legitimate chance to win it.”

Weaver said Dorth Vader will ship on October 22.

“I’m purposefully sending Dorth Vader early because I want her to settle in more,” Weaver said. “At a new place, I think it is just better for her mentally to have a little bit of extra time to settle in.”

On the Oklahoma turf training track, Governor Sam, under consideration for the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, breezed a half-mile in 48 3/5 seconds, according to NYRA clockers. Cy Fair covered the same distance in 48 2/5, as did Royal Testament in 51 and 1/5 - both are juvenile fillies targeting the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“All of my horses did what I wanted them to do, I had a great day of training,” Weaver said. “It doesn’t usually go like that. As far as training days go, this was a good one. Now this could all change when I come in tomorrow [laughs]. Fingers crossed, the rest is all good.”

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Dry Powder drills at Belmont for G1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff

Gold Square’s dual Grade 1-placed Dry Powder turned in her final local work on Thursday in preparation for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff on November 1, covering five-eighths in 1:00.60 over the Belmont Park dirt training track in company with stakes-placed 5-year-old Knox [1:00 flat].

Trained by Chad Summers, Dry Powder was last seen finishing a neck second to Clicquot in the Grade 1 Cotillion on September 20 at Parx Racing, her second Grade 1 placing this year after landing third in the Coaching Club American Oaks in July at Saratoga Race Course.

“She’s good; she did what she had to do,” Summers said of the work. “She’s come out of the Cotillion well and it looks like this will be kind of a deep field, but with the way she runs and competes, hopefully we get a good post and can work out a good trip.”

The sophomore daughter of Gun Runner will ship to Del Mar on Saturday and have one more breeze there ahead of the Distaff, most likely next Friday. Summers said he expects the filly will be among the first contenders to arrive for the World Championships.

“We should get there about 10:30 tomorrow night,” he said. “We just want to get her a work over the track. She’s a little bit of a unique personality, so I just thought it would be best to get her over there and acclimated. By race day, she’s always a professional, but there’s always a bit of a process with her.”

Never off the board in six starts, Dry Powder graduated on debut in March at Gulfstream Park and followed with a pair of seconds at Belmont at the Big A in an optional claimer and the Wilton. She then contested the Coaching Club American Oaks before her most recent trip to the winner’s circle for a dominant 4 1/4-length victory in the Listed Cathryn Sophia in August at Parx.

“We’re excited to have a horse in here that can represent Gold Square and NYRA, and we want to win,” Summers said. “She’s going to be a bit of an outsider maybe, but this is a big deal and we’ve done well in these big races around the world and we want to win one of those trophies.”

A $525,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Dry Powder is out of the winning Broken Vow mare Tell All, a half-sister to dual graded stakes-winner Overheard.

Summers’ other stable star, Gold Square’s Napoleon Solo, earned a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 31 for his win in the Grade 1 Champagne on October 4 at Belmont at the Big A, but will bypass the championship race and receive a 60-day freshening.

The son of Liam’s Map is a perfect 2-for-2 with a debut graduation in August at Saratoga and his romping 6 1/2-length Champagne score. He was a $40,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde.

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Boca Queen stretches out in G2 Sands Point

Repole Stable’s Irish-bred Boca Queen will stretch out another furlong for Saturday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point, a nine-furlong inner turf route for sophomore fillies, at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Kevin Attard, the Kingman dark bay made her first three starts over firm turf at Woodbine Racetrack, kicking off her career with a 3 1/4-length score in a seven-furlong maiden sprint versus elders on July 5.

Boca Queen followed with a pair of fourth-place finishes in one-mile stakes, including in the Grade 3 Ontario Colleen versus fellow sophomore fillies on July 26 and the Listed Toronto Cup versus 3-year-old males on August 30. The latter effort, in which she exited post 1-of-11 over the inner turf as the mutuel favorite, saw her land 2 3/4-lengths back of Church and State, who subsequently ran fifth in the Gio Ponti here.

"She was a little disappointing her last couple starts after breaking her maiden first time out impressively,” Attard said. “She's been a little flat in her two races since, so with the mile and an eighth and the way the race was shaping up, I thought it might be a good race to point towards.

"She had a good trip last time,” Attard added. “I can't blame the trip for her performance. I thought she was in a good spot to kick on and she was a little bit one paced, so I'm hoping the nine furlongs will help."

Boca Queen, out of the Group 2-winning Big Bad Bob mare Bocca Baciata, was a $423,719 purchase from Book 1 of the 2023 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale. She was bred by Flaxman Stables Ireland.

Boca Queen shipped into Belmont on Thursday evening in the care of Korina McLean, the longtime exercise rider for the Attard-trained Moira, who captured last year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf en route to Champion Turf Female honors.

Attard, who earned Sovereign Award honors as Canada’s Outstanding Trainer of 2024, has Gas Me Up pre-entered for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile on November 1, at Del Mar.

The 4-year-old Hard Spun gelding started his career in California with trainer Peter Eurton, but has found another level this season at Woodbine for Attard. He captured the Grade 2 King Edward in August and landed a prominent 3 1/2-length third to the victorious Notable Speech in the Grade 1 Woodbine Mile on September 13.

“We'll be a longshot, but he's been an honest horse,” Attard said.

Campaigned by Exline-Border Racing, Michael Jawl, Aaron Kennedy and Tom Zwiesler, Gas Me Up was bred in Ontario by the storied Sam-Son Farm. His second dam is the stakes-winning A.P. Indy mare Catch the Thrill, Canada’s Champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2006; and his Grade 3-winning third dam, Catch the Ring, was Canada’s Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in 2000.

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With the Angels successful in Thursday return at Belmont at the Big A

Multiple stakes-winning New York-bred With the Angels was away from the races for 11 months, but showed no signs of rust as she weaved her way around traffic en route to a strong victory in Race 4, a six-furlong open allowance for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, on Thursday at Belmont at the Big A.

Trained by Linda Rice, the sophomore daughter of Omaha Beach won three state-bred stakes last fall here, taking the Joseph A. Gimma, Maid of the Mist and Key Cents in consecutive outings. She was on the bench until a return to training in February, but Rice felt the dark bay filly was not at her best and decided to give her plenty of time to return to her peak form.

“Things weren’t going just right for her, and I brought her back in February after a three-month break and wasn’t satisfied with the way she was doing,” Rice explained. “I said, ‘she needs more time.’ It took a lot of patience by everyone involved, but everyone was wonderful and I’m just glad we got her back to the winner’s circle.”

With the Angels, who saved ground from the inside post in the compact field of five, was guided from off the pace by Flavien Prat to the 2 1/2-length score, pouncing from as far as five lengths back and accelerating willingly before running up on rivals at the top of the lane and having to angle out around them for her best run. She was able to do so passing the eighth pole, and once in the clear, drove home strongly to post the victory in a final time of 1:10.46 and register an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

Rice said she was pleased to see With the Angels return with gusto despite the traffic in the lane.

“She was a little boxed in and I said ‘come on girl, let’s get it!’ She was so brilliant as a 2-year-old and we were so excited,” Rice said. “It’s been such a long wait to get her back to the races, so you just have to sit there and hope that she shows up. There’s no guarantees, but she was the Champion New York 2-Year-Old Filly and she showed up today.”

With the Angels could return to stakes action next at the Big A, with Rice noting the filly emerged well from the race and that the six-furlong $150,000 Garland of Roses on December 7 is a likely target.

With the Angels is campaigned by Winning Move Stable, John Oxley, Lady Sheila Stable, Rideau Racers and Sanford H. Robbins. She was bred by Joseph DeRico and is out of the winning Pulpit mare Sister Margaret, who also produced the stakes-placed New York-bred Maggy’s Palace.

Rice is set to be well-represented in Saturday’s Fall Starter Championship races, which are open to horses that have started for a prescribed claiming price since July 1, 2024. Each race in the series is named after some of the most popular claiming horses to run on the NYRA circuit. The 11-race card, which offers a first post of 12:10 p.m. Eastern is supported by the Grade 2, $200,000 Sands Point in Race 7.

“I’m so glad for it,” Rice said of the starter series. “You see the Claiming Crown they have in Florida and Kentucky, and it’s nice to have one right here at home so that everyone who participates so hard all winter long gets a chance to run in these types of races.”

Rice has entered 15 horses [five MTOs] across the 10 races, including Robert Pezzuti’s Light the Way in Race 9, the Be Bullish Starter at one mile for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $50,000 or less since July 1, 2024.

The 5-year-old son of Justify enters from a fifth in the Grade 3 Vosburgh presented by Army Mule on September 27 here. Light the Way hit the board in seven of his eight previous starts leading up to the Vosburgh, including a pair of optional claiming wins this summer at Saratoga Race Course.

A. Bianco Holding Limited’s Acoustic Ave has won or finished second in each of his last five outings, and is the even-money favorite in Race 2, the Creme de La Fete Starter at six furlongs for 3-year-olds and up which have started for a claiming price of $32,000 or less since July 1, 2024.

“It’s a very tough race, but he deserves a shot in there,” Rice said of Light the Way. “He’s in there and Acoustic Ave is in the sprint, so it’s exciting to have those two running.”