Barn Tour: Todd Pletcher has a deep bench of Derby contenders

Tapit Trice displayed a tremendous closing kick to reel in the Grade 2 Tampa Bay Derby (G2) on March 11 in his fourth career start. Then Kingsbarns extended his perfection to three starts when he was allowed to set a sluggish pace in the March 25 Louisiana Derby (G2) and took care of the rest. Each victory secured enough qualifying points to ensure a berth in the Run for the Roses.

And Pletcher might not be done yet. During a visit to Palm Beach Downs, he provided an update on his Kentucky Derby prospects not named Forte.

Tapit Trice. There was much to like about Tapit Trice’s performance in the Tampa Bay Derby. “He’s one of the few horses to really close ground there maybe the entire meet,” Pletcher noted. It also must be pointed out that the son of Tapit left himself an awful lot to do, which is why there is an attempt to tweak his running style for the $1 million Blue Grass (G1) on Saturday at Keeneland.

“We’re hoping for a little better early position, hopefully getting away from the gate a little better and then, after that, more of what he’s been doing, which is performing pretty well,” Pletcher said. If anyone can bring out more early aggression in Tapit Trice, he has the right rider in Luis Saez.

The Derby distance of 1 1/4 miles should be an asset for Tapit Trice, who lacks quickness and early speed and debuted at a mile. “I think the further they go, the stronger he’ll get,” Pletcher said. “But we just don’t want to give everyone a head start.”

Kingsbarns. The 1 3/16-mile Louisiana Derby could not have unfolded any better for this son of Uncle Mo. He showed a new dimension by making an easy lead for jockey Flavien Prat and was allowed to coast from there through an opening quarter in 24.71 seconds, a half in 49.60 seconds and three quarters in a sluggish 1:14.69. His final time of 1:57.33 was the slowest since the Louisiana Derby moved to its current distance four years ago.

Pletcher makes no apologies. “To his credit, he was tactical enough that he could go out and establish the pace,” he said. “It turned out it was soft fractions, but he still finished up strongly. It wasn’t his fault that he got away with an easy lead.”

According to Pletcher, Prat advised him that Kingsbarns likely would perform better when he has a target to chase, a likely scenario with a full field of 20 expected at Churchill Downs.

Major Dude. He bagged 40 qualifying points for his runner-up effort in the March 25 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) on Turfway Park’s Tapeta surface. Unless Major Dude trains lights out on the main track at Churchill Downs, his connections are leaning toward a turf race on the Derby undercard.

Classic Catch. This Classic Empire colt is the most accomplished of three projected Pletcher starters in the April 8 Wood Memorial (G2). He comes off a two-length score going a mile and an eighth in an allowance optional claimer March 2 at Gulfstream Park. The result was impressive because Classic Catch bobbled at the start and overcame a wide trip.

“Classic Catch is kind of flying under the radar a little bit. I liked his allowance win here. He’s training very well,” the trainer said. “I know he hasn’t run any flashy numbers, but I think he’s done it with a little more left in the tank. I think he is a colt that is on the improve.”

Dreamlike. This Gun Runner colt is the better of two maidens being pointed toward the Wood by Pletcher. He was unraced at age 2. He adds blinkers after a pair of second-place efforts in his only starts, both at Gulfstream. “We trained him a little bit in blinkers and we thought in his last breeze he was a little bit more focused,” Pletcher said. “Jose (Ortiz), who was on him in his last race and has been on him in the mornings quite a bit, thought it kind of dialed him in a little bit.”

Crupi. He has the same ownership as Forte in Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable. Any similarities end there. The son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin will be given an opportunity in the Wood at Aqueduct, owner Mike Repole's boyhood track, even though he is winless in six starts since he debuted at Saratoga on Aug. 6. He launched his career with three third-place tries, then ran second twice before showing little when he was a well-beaten seventh in the Feb. 18 Risen Star (G2) in his only graded-stakes shot.

“He’s been a bridesmaid. He, too, similar to Tapit Trice, has a tendency to lag behind the field a little bit,” Pletcher said. “He would greatly benefit from a strong early pace.”

Even Pletcher, coming off his record eighth Eclipse Award, might not be able to solve the Crupi puzzle.