Belmont Stakes: Pletcher says Crudo 'fits' but lacks seasoning
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher smiled weakly when he was reminded of the serious horsepower he has brought to the Belmont Stakes, beginning with the splendid filly Rags to Riches and extending through Palace Malice in 2013, Tapwrit in 2017 and Mo Donegal in 2022.
This Saturday, he will attempt to battle Kentucky Derby winner Sovereignty and brave Preakness victor Journalism with the likes of Crudo, who has never opposed graded-stakes company through three starts, and Uncaged, a seemingly impossible long shot.
“We’ve had stronger hands than we’re turning this year,” Pletcher acknowledged.
Crudo, a son of undefeated 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, might have his best running ahead of him. At the least, he is an intriguing starter after a front-running 7 1/2-length domination of the 1 1/16-mile Sir Barton Stakes on the Preakness undercard.
“I do think Crudo, from the talent standpoint, fits. I just hope he’s seasoned enough,” Pletcher said. “I liked the way he ran in the Sir Barton. I liked the way he galloped out. I think the mile and a quarter is going to suit him well, but he’s only had three lifetime starts and he’s giving up a lot of experience to what appears to be a really good crop of 3-year-old colts. I think the top three from the Derby are all pretty formidable foes, so he’ll need to step up.”
Pletcher is stepping out a bit in running a sophomore back on three weeks’ rest since the Sir Barton. “I don’t think it was a very hard race on him and he’s had a good couple of weeks since then,” the trainer explained. “He came back with a good breeze on Sunday (four furlongs, 48.86 seconds).
“Just kind of looking at it and what the options are, we could have gone a more conservative route and gone to the Pegasus at Monmouth (June 14, 1 1/16 miles). But the horse is here and doing well, John Velazquez is available. There just seemed like a lot of reasons to give it a try.”
Even if Uncaged steps up, there is no indication that will be nearly enough. He finished sixth in the Grade 3 Peter Pan, the traditional Belmont prep, dusted by 10 1/4 lengths by fellow Belmont starter Hill Road. Perhaps only owner Mike Repole was undaunted by that May 10 finish.
“We’re simply taking a shot. Mike wants to take a chance,” Pletcher said. “The horse is healthy and doing well. We’d be delighted if he could get a piece of it.”
Repole is looking for all of it in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1), where Fierceness opposes White Abarrio in a highly anticipated duel. Those two have combined for seven Grade 1 scores, which helps explain why only three other horses were entered.
Fierceness comes off a mighty impressive 4-year-old debut. In his first start since he placed second to Sierra Leone in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, he set a Churchill Downs track record in the May 2 Alysheba (G2), blazing the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:40.66.
“I don’t think anything the horse can do should surprise you because he’s just a really good horse. He trains like he’s capable of those sorts of things,” Pletcher said. “What I thought was so impressive, usually when a track record is set, it’s either a new course or it’s a race that’s run with a really fast pace and a horse closes into that fast pace. It’s not a slow half and finishing the way he did.
“To keep things in an historical perspective, they’ve been running races for a long time at Churchill Downs, a lot of mile-and-a-sixteenth races over the years, so it’s a pretty significant achievement.”
The City of Light colt has trained sharply at Saratoga. In the most recent of three works there, he covered four furlongs in 49.74 seconds.
“I’m very confident the mile suits him really well,” Pletcher said. “My biggest concern is the Wilson Chute. It’s kind of a tricky race that way.”
It will be up to crafty Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez to navigate a good trip from the rail, with the blistering speed of White Abarrio right beside him. White Abarrio will be taking his third crack at the Met Mile.
If Pletcher is somewhat lacking in the 3-year-old division, Fierceness represents an ace among his very strong older horses. He said Mindframe, coming off his first Grade 1 victory in the May 3 Churchill Downs in his second start at 4, is on an excellent course for the June 28 Stephen Foster (G1) there.
Locked, coming off a disappointing fourth-place effort to Fierceness in the Alysheba, looks to rebound in the July 4 Suburban (G2) at Saratoga. He was a runaway winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1) before that and opened the year with a solid second in the Pegasus World Cup (G1).