Barn Tour: Pletcher has 3 with Kentucky Derby hopes

Delray Beach, Fla.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher, accustomed to sending one or more starters in the Kentucky Derby, is running out of time to secure at least one berth.

His hopes revolve around lightly raced Disruptor in Saturday’s Grade 1 Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park and then next Saturday with River Thames in the Blue Grass (G1)  at Keeneland and with 2-for-2 Grande in the Wood Memorial (G2) at Aqueduct.

Of the three prospects, only Fountain of Youth (G2) runner-up River Thames has any Derby qualifying points, with 25. Each of the three preps this weekend and next award the top five finishers qualifying points on a 100-50-25-15-10 basis.

“We could have three (Derby starters) or none,” Pletcher said.

On the positive side, he had prospects emerge when they were conspicuously absent at the start of the year.

“We have three going into the final round, all training well and with live chances,” he said. “If you told me that three months ago, I wouldn’t have necessarily believed that to be the case.”

On the negative side, none competed at 2. The pedal has been to the metal merely to push the trio to advance this far this fast. “We’d love to have horses with a little more experience,” Pletcher acknowledged. “In Disruptor and Grande’s case, maybe another race under their belt or a graded stake under their belt. But this is the way it fell for us.”

Here is a look at Pletcher’s top 3-year-olds and older horses.

3-year-olds

Disruptor. The son of Gun Runner suggested he might be special when he rebounded from a debut loss with an emphatic 9 1/4-length romp on March 1 at Gulfstream. He will make only his third career start in the Florida Derby. Pletcher: “It’s a big leap. From a talent perspective, he has the talent to fit in a race like this. At the same time, you’re concerned about the lack of experience.”

Gate to Wire. Donegal Racing is known for campaigning horses at classic distances. This son of Munnings looks to be an exception. He’s targeting the seven-furlong Lafayette on opening day at Keeneland next Friday after he failed to run to hopes in the 1 1/16-mile Fountain of Youth. Pletcher: “I give him credit. He gave his all in the Fountain. I think it proved a tick too far for him.”

Grande. The April 5 Wood Memorial is up next for this Mike Repole runner. Grande is by two-time horse of the year Curlin, so it should be no surprise that he keeps going and going. Pletcher: “He handled a mile really well first time out and then stretched out to a mile and an eighth and handled that with no problem.”

River Thames. The feeling is that River Thames is talented enough to be perfect through three starts. He was overtaken by imposing Sovereignty in the Fountain of Youth and finished second. Pletcher: “I feel we kind of let victory slip away from us there. It seemed like he kind of got a little complacent when he made the lead and he kind of lost his momentum while Sovereignty built up a lot of momentum. Hats off to him for running a big race, but I do think we kind of let that one get away from us.”

Vassimo. Time to regroup with this son of 2016 Kentucky Derby victor Nyquist after his recent fourth-place finish in the Louisiana Derby (G2). Pletcher: “I was a little disappointed in Vassimo last week at the Fair Grounds. We were hoping maybe he would step up with the addition of blinkers. That didn’t really work out.”

Older horses

Fierceness. The Breeders’ Cup Classic runner-up and Travers winner has logged two works at Palm Beach Downs as he gradually makes his way back from elective surgery on a hind ankle that led him to be turned out for 60 days. He is expected to make his 4-year-old debut in the Westchester (G3) on May 4 at Aqueduct in preparation for the Met Mile (G1). Pletcher: “We haven’t done a lot with him so far, but it appears he will come to hand pretty quickly.”

Locked. He returned from the West Coast as a dominant winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) on March 1. He is being pointed to the Alysheba (G2) on May 2 at Churchill Downs, part of the Kentucky Oaks undercard. Pletcher: “I was impressed by the way he handled shipping out to Santa Anita and running so well in the Big 'Cap. He came back in good order with good energy.”

Mindframe. On to the seven-furlong Churchill Downs Handicap on May 3, Kentucky Derby day, after he produced a victory in the March 1 Gulfstream Park Mile (G2), his first start since he was a runner-up in the Haskell (G1). He lost the rest of his 3-year-old campaign to bone bruising. Pletcher: “I still think he idled a little bit in the Gulfstream Park Mile. He had a commanding lead, and you could tell he got maybe a little complacent.”