Walter Wlodarczyk Photo

Pletcher chases record eighth score in G2 Wood Memorial

by NYRA Press Office

• Pletcher chases record eighth score in G2 Wood Memorial
• Frosty O Toole seeks to hit the ground running for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest could target G1 Ogden Phipps
• Slip Mahoney vies to give breeders Hill ‘n’ Dale, Phillip Steinberg more graded success in G2 Wood Memorial
• Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 3 stakes probables

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will send out a trio of contenders in Whisper Hill Farm’s Classic Catch along with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable-owned maidens Crupi and Dreamlike in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino.

Pletcher, who has seven wins, is currently one win behind the record of the late Hall of Famer "Sunny" Jim Fitzsimmons, who boasts eight wins in the Wood Memorial, a nine furlong test for sophomores offering 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Derby qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Pletcher said all three of his contenders will appreciate the stretch out in distance as they look to join formidable stablemates Forte - the reigning Champion 2-Year-Old Colt; Grade 2 Louisiana Derby winner Kingsbarns; and Grade 3 Tampa Bay Derby victor Tapit Trice in the starting gate for the “Run for the Roses.”

"It's an interesting trio. One thing we feel good about is all three horses will appreciate the mile and an eighth,” Pletcher said.

Dreamlike [post 1, Jose Ortiz, 7-2ML], who adds blinkers, is the shortest price of the Pletcher triumvirate.

A $975,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, the Gun Runner chestnut is out of the Tapit mare Time to Tap, who is a full sister to 2014 Champion 3-year-Old Filly and Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks winner Untapable and a half-sister to Grade 1-winning stallion Paddy O’Prado.

Dreamlike has posted a pair of runner-up efforts at Gulfstream Park, including a March 11 effort traveling 1 1/16-miles that garnered a co-field best 91 Beyer Speed Figure in which he came up three-quarters of a length shy of Empirestrikesfast.

"Dreamlike showed great promise prior to his debut in which he ran very well. He came back and just missed,” Pletcher said. “We felt like he lost focus a little bit in his last start and subsequently worked him with blinkers which seem to have him a little more locked in. Hopefully, that proves to be the case in the race."

Dreamlike will exit the inside post Saturday under Jose Ortiz in a field of 12 sophomores following the expected scratch of Clear the Air.

"We have to establish some position into the first turn and let Jose sort it out from there,” Pletcher said. “But I'd rather be there than way outside, so hopefully he gets away cleanly and can take advantage of the inside draw."

Crupi [post 9, Kendrick Carmouche, 12-1ML] remains a maiden after six starts. He enters from a rallying seventh in the Grade 2 Risen Star on February 18 at Fair Grounds.

The Curlin colt, a $275,000 purchase at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, has kept good company through a series of troubled gate exits that have left him far back in the early running.

Two starts back, in a one-turn mile maiden at the Big A on January 21, he closed from last-of-10 to finish a close second to Wood Memorial rival Slip Mahoney. Last out, closed from last-of-14 to finish seventh in the Risen Star.

"He's made some sort of mistake in every one of his starts, but he's training very well and hopefully with more experience, the more professional he'll get,” Pletcher said. “He put in a nice run last time, but he had way too much to do. He closed some ground late and was weaving his way in and out of traffic. I do think his breezes leading up to this have been the best that he's had. Hopefully, that's an indication that he's going to make a move forward."

The chestnut colt is named for the late horseman James "J.J." Crupi, who passed in May 2019 and had a longstanding business relationship with Pletcher and his owners.

Classic Catch [post 11, Trevor McCarthy, 10-1ML] graduated at second asking traveling nine furlongs in November at the Big A before shipping to Florida where he recently captured a nine-furlong optional-claimer on March 2 at Gulfstream.

“His last race was very good,” said Pletcher of the two-length score that garnered a career-best 79 Beyer. “He pricked his ears and eased down when he came to the wire. He, too, has been training very forwardly and owns a win over the track at the distance, so I think he's one that might be under the radar a little bit.”

The Classic Empire colt, out of the graded-stakes winning Malibu Moon mare Moon Catcher, was purchased for $110,000 at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Pletcher will also be chasing Derby points at Keeneland on Saturday with the aforementioned Tapit Trice [post 1, Luis Saez, 5-2ML], who has won 3-of-4 starts including an eight-length romp from post 1-of-6 in an optional-claimer in February at Gulfstream.

“He's always trained very well and given us the impression that more distance will be to his favor,” Pletcher said. “We're hoping he can get away from the gate in good enough order and establish some position into the first turn and get into that comfortable rhythm and big, long stride that he has. We're not crazy about drawing the rail with him, but he did win the allowance race from the rail at Gulfstream so hopefully that's a good sign.”

Pletcher is well represented on Saturday’s Wood Memorial Day card, sending out a pair of contenders in Gambling Girl and Frosty O Toole in the Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle which will award 100-40-30-20-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the top-five finishers.

Repole Stable’s New York-bred Gambling Girl [post 2, Jose Ortiz, 4-1 ML], bred by Gallagher’s Stud, finished a closing fourth last out in the Grade 3 Honeybee at Oaklawn Park which was won by Wet Paint, who exited that effort to win Saturday’s Grade 3 Fantasy at the Hot Springs oval.

The Dialed In bay has hit the board in 3-of-4 starts over the Big A main track, including a game third-place effort to stablemate Julia Shining in the nine-furlong Grade 2 Demoiselle in December and a runner-up effort returning rival Occult in the nine-furlong Busanda in January.

“She likes the mile and an eighth and she ran well in the Busanda and Demoiselle,” Pletcher said. “She rallied late at Oaklawn, but just had too much to do. It makes sense to get her back to Aqueduct and a mile and an eighth.”

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners’ Frosty O Toole [post 3, Jose Lezcano, 9-2ML], a private purchase, made her first four starts in Florida for her former owner-trainer Michael Dini.

The Frosted bay switched to dirt for her most recent two outings, graduating in a one-mile and 40-yard maiden in February ahead of a 3 1/2-length optional claiming coup on March 8 going the same distance.

Frosty O Toole has breezed back twice for Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs, including a half-mile in 49.96 seconds on April 1.

“She's a very nice looking filly,” Pletcher said. “She's a big, scopey, strong filly that we've only had a short time, but her two breezes with us have been very good. She certainly gives you the impression that a mile and an eighth is going to benefit her.”

Frosty O Toole is a half-sister to the Eclipse Thoroughbreds-campaigned multiple graded stakes-placed Sister Otoole and stakes-winner Lady O’Toole, as well as Plenty O’Toole, the dam of multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Mr. Money.

Pletcher will send out St. Elias Stable’s Expressman [post 3, Jose Ortiz, 12-1ML] in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap presented by NYRA Bets, a seven-furlong sprint for older horses led by Grade 1-winner White Abarrio and the streaking Repo Rocks.

The 4-year-old Liam’s Map colt made an auspicious debut sprinting seven furlongs in August at Saratoga Race Course, drawing off to a 7 1/4-length score that garnered a lofty 107 Beyer.

He followed with a pair of runner-up efforts traveling one turn and last out added blinkers for a game head score in a nine-furlong optional-claimer on February 10 at Gulfstream Park that registered an 88 Beyer.

“He kind of gutted it out last time going a mile and an eighth first time with the blinkers,” Pletcher said. “We're trying the cutback angle and we'll hope that he can make a move forward - he certainly needs to, it's an ambitious placing. We're hoping he can step up.”

While Pletcher’s focus Saturday will be on dirt racing, he has recently added a pair of potential turf stars to his stable led by the undefeated Far Bridge, a private purchase for LSU Stables, who paired up 88 Beyer Speed Figures in two stylish scores at Gulfstream Park.

The English Channel colt, out of the Kitten’s Joy mare Fitpitcher, is a Calumet Farm homebred previously trained by Christophe Clement. He graduated impressively traveling 1 1/16-miles on January 21, running down the well-regarded Carl Spackler, who exited that effort to break his maiden by 8 3/4-lengths and notch an impressive 92 Beyer.

Last out, Far Bridge closed from tenth-of-12 to defeat winners in a 1 1/16-mile optional-claimer on March 11. He breezed a half-mile in 51.72 on March 31 for Pletcher at Palm Beach Downs.

“He's a very talented horse. I was very impressed by his first couple of runs,” Pletcher said. “He's settled in very well and will have his second breeze tomorrow.”

Pletcher said Far Bridge will target the Grade 2 American Turf on May 6 at Churchill Downs with an eye towards the Grade 1, $750,000 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 8.

A trio of talented sophomores arrived at Pletcher’s Belmont base last week by way of Dubai in Jumeirah Derby-winner Sharar, a half-brother [by Gun Runner] to 2017 Champion Turf Female Lady Eli; listed dirt winner Go Soldier Go, by Tapiture; and the unraced filly Advance Attack.

“Sharar looks to be one that's a Belmont Derby candidate,” said Pletcher of the $600,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase.

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Frosty O Toole seeks to hit the ground running for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners; Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest could target G1 Ogden Phipps

Aron Wellman of Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners said he is hopeful that newly acquired Frosty O Toole can make a big splash in Saturday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Gazelle at Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Gazelle is the final local qualifier for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks on May 5 at Churchill Downs, and awards the top-five finishers points based off a 100-40-30-20-10 scale.

Unbeaten in two starts on dirt, Frosty O Toole was privately purchased by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners following her recent score against winners on March 8 at Tampa Bay Downs for her previous trainer Mike Dini. There, the daughter of Frosted stalked from 1 1/2 lengths off the pace down the backstretch, inched her way to third nearing the far turn and bested dual stakes-placed favorite Personal Pursuit to win by 3 1/2 lengths.

The winning effort came following a triumphant main track debut on February 4 going two turns at Tampa, where she displayed similar tactics to win by a half-length. In her previous two starts, she was unplaced on the turf and synthetic at Gulfstream Park.

“We took a little run at her once she broke her maiden and couldn’t get a deal done. But once she validated her maiden victory with a very impressive allowance score at Tampa last month, we went in with a little heavier artillery to get her bought,” Wellman said. “We’re hoping she’s a filly that’s just getting better. She’s on such an upward trajectory right now and the fact that she definitely appreciates a route of ground on the main track made her a very attractive prospect to add to the stable.”

Frosty O Toole is a half-sister to Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners-owned Sister Otoole, who is three-times graded stakes placed on turf. Both are out of the unraced Distorted Humor mare O’Toole, who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Well Armed and also produced black type producing mare Plenty O’Toole.

“Physically, Sister Otoole is a much more light-framed, streamlined type. I was actually down in South Florida this past weekend to see Frosty O Toole breeze at Palm Beach Downs and she’s a much more robust, really built for power, type of individual. Talent wise, hopefully Frosty O Toole proves she’s a stake type caliber filly,” Wellman said. “They both relish a distance of ground. They might have started this filly on the grass and synthetic because of who her sister was. Clearly, this filly, being by Frosted, is a much more dirt-influenced type page and she’s really taken to routing on the dirt.”

Wellman said Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Nest has been reunited with the Pletcher stable at Palm Beach Downs and is training towards a potential long-term target of the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps on June 10 at Belmont Park. A three-time Grade 1-winner, the Curlin filly is owned by Eclipse in partnership with Repole Stable and Michael House.

“She came back to Todd a few weeks ago. She’s back galloping and probably a little ways away from her first breeze,” Wellman said. “Nothing is etched in stone at this point, but perhaps a soft circle around the Phipps on Belmont Day, but that’s very tentative at this point. We’re just going to let Todd do his thing and when she’s ready, she’ll tell us.”

Nest captured last year’s Grade 1 Ashland at Keeneland before finishing second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks and Grade 1 Belmont Stakes against colts. Over the summer at Saratoga Race Course, she became the 20th filly to sweep the Coaching Club American Oaks-Alabama double, something Pletcher previously did with Princess of Sylmar [2013] and Stopchargingmaria [2014].

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Slip Mahoney vies to give breeders Hill ‘n’ Dale, Phillip Steinberg more graded success in G2 Wood Memorial

The regally-bred Slip Mahoney, who sports Grade 1 talent on both sides of his pedigree, will look to add to his family’s stellar resume for breeders Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and Phillip Steinberg in Saturday’s Grade 2, $750,000 Wood Memorial presented by Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack.

Slip Mahoney, who finished a closing second in the Grade 3 Gotham on March 4 at the Big A, is in pursuit of the winner’s share of Kentucky Derby qualifying points in the Wood Memorial, which awards 100-40-30-20-10 points to the top-five finishers, respectively.

Owned by Gold Square and trained by two-time Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the grey son of Arrogate is a third-generation homebred for Steinberg and John Sikura’s Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, produced from the multiple graded stakes-winning mare Got Lucky. While the colt’s breeding is impeccable, Sikura said there were last-minute changes in stallion plans that led to the breeding of Slip Mahoney, who was installed as the 6-1 co-third choice on the morning line in the Wood Memorial.

“We were going to breed to Justify, but he was busy, so we bred to Arrogate,” said Sikura. “With the Unbridled’s Song influence in the pedigree, hopefully there will be some speed, and the dam is a medium-sized mare. But ideally, as a commercial breeder you want to produce a horse with leg and length and a big, strong horse. We thought he had the chance physically to give that to her. She had the same type of foal she always has, which is medium-sized and not that big, imposing horse. It didn’t work in that respect, but it worked in the sense that we thought he would be a runner.”

Slip Mahoney’s story begins nearly two decades ago when his third dam, the Ogden Phipps homebred graded stakes winner Get Lucky, produced a Deputy Minister filly named Malka in 2005. Malka caught Sikura’s eye when she broke her maiden in late 2007, leading him to purchase a share in the filly from Ben Walden. She raced three more times before she was retired and subsequently bred to A.P. Indy in 2010. The resulting foal was Got Lucky, who Sikura aptly named after the unlikely circumstances of her conception.

“Malka was by Deputy Minister, who I had a feeling would be a great broodmare sire,” said Sikura. “After she broke her maiden, I called Ben Walden, who was a partner and I bought his interest in Malka with Phil Steinberg. We bred her to A.P. Indy in his last crop, so he wasn’t getting his mares in foal too well – therefore, the name Got Lucky. We got lucky that we managed to get one from his last crop.”

Got Lucky earned just shy of $1 million in her stellar career before retiring in 2015 and producing her first foal, an unraced son of War Front, in 2017. The following year, she produced the multiple graded stakes-placed Overtook and a filly in 2019 before delivering Slip Mahoney in 2020.

Sikura ultimately decided to sell Slip Mahoney at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, and attracted the attention of Joe Hardoon, the agent for Gold Square, selling for $150,000.

Slip Mahoney was one of three subsequent graded performers by the late Arrogate to go through the ring, including dual Grade 1-winner Cave Rock [$550,000] and Grade 2 Gulfstream Park Oaks victress Affirmative Lady [$210,000].

“When we sold him as a yearling, he wasn’t the biggest horse,” said Sikura. “He had length but lacked a little bit of leg. Arrogate was cold as a sire. He wasn’t a horse that we were nine deep on at the sales ring. Time will only tell what Slip Mahoney’s true potential is, but he’s a magnificently bred horse and Arrogate is now a very good sire. It’s tragic we lost him early on.”

Slip Mahoney debuted for Cox in November at Aqueduct and graduated at third asking after a dramatic battle with returning Wood Memorial rival Crupi down the stretch to post a head victory on January 21 going a one-turn mile. He followed with his rallying runner-up finish in the Gotham where he closed from 13th-of-14 to secure place honors and 20 qualifying points towards the Kentucky Derby.

Sikura said it has been rewarding to see Slip Mahoney show promise on the racetrack.

“They [Gold Square] loved the horse and you’re just always hoping that anything you breed, sell and raise can go on to be successful for their new owners,” Sikura said. “He has emerged as a nice 3-year-old and now he has to step up and separate himself to see if he can get into that elite group.”

Should Slip Mahoney perform well in the Wood Memorial, he would have the chance to provide Sikura with his first Kentucky Derby winner as a breeder. Hill ‘n’ Dale was the co-breeder of 1997 Belmont Stakes winner Touch Gold and 2017 Preakness winner Cloud Computing, but Sikura said an elusive Kentucky Derby score would be a particularly meaningful achievement.

“In this business, it’s very easy to get humbled. There will be lots of nice horses in the race and I just hope he runs his race without excuses,” said Sikura. “It would be a dream to have a horse run in the Derby. We bred a Preakness winner, a Belmont winner, but to have a horse win the Derby would be great. We’ll enjoy the race, see what happens and hope he runs well. We’re excited and wish all the best to the connections.”

Slip Mahoney will emerge from post 5 in rein to Dylan Davis, who was the pilot in his first three outings. The Wood Memorial is slated as the final race on Saturday’s 11-race card with a 6:16 p.m. Eastern post time.

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Aqueduct Racetrack spring meet Week 3 stakes probables

Saturday, April 15

$100K Danger’s Hour

Probable: Celestial City (Shug McGaughey), Dakota Gold (Danny Gargan), Eleven Central (Paulo Lobo)

Possible: Rinaldi (Jim Bond)

Sunday, April 16

$100K Plenty of Grace

Probable: Evvie Jets (Mertkan Kantarmaci), Runaway Rumour (Jorge Abreu)