Breeders’ Cup: Pletcher is ready to go with his 2-year-olds

Arcadia, Calif.

Todd Pletcher was aware Locked was installed as the individual, morning-line favorite for the first Kentucky Derby Future Wager. Not that there was anything remarkable or even noteworthy about that right now.

“I don’t pay much attention to it other than recognizing that I think everyone appreciates him the same way we do,” Pletcher said.

Head to Head: Forecasting the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Of more immediate note for the Hall of Fame trainer, Locked was made the 7-2 morning-line favorite for Friday’s running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He also has been the top choice in futures betting, just ahead of Bob Baffert’s Grade 1 winner Muth.

Now we are talking. And so was Pletcher of the more immediate challenge for his 2-year-old Gun Runner colt who closed into a representative, early pace on the way to winning Oct. 7 in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Futurity (G1) at Keeneland.

With José Ortiz riding as usual, Pletcher figured it might be a similar situation Friday in yet another 1 1/16-mile test, especially with Chad Brown’s Champagne (G1) runner-up General Partner and Baffert-trained American Pharoah (G1) runner-up Wine Me Up lining up as the likely pacesetters.

“It should be an honest pace,” Pletcher said at the shippers barn at Santa Anita. “He’s a very tactical horse. He can do whatever we need to do. He can be close. He can come from behind. He can come from a little bit off of it. We’ll just play it by ear.”

Owned by Gary Broad’s Walmac Farm and Aron Wellman’s Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Locked is a $425,000 colt who started poorly and made up 7 1/2 lengths in his third-place debut Aug. 5 at Saratoga. That where his maiden-breaking, 7 1/4-length mile win Sept. 1 was good for a 96 Beyer Speed Figure, according to Daily Racing Form. A powerful stretch run worth a 93 Beyer in the Breeders’ Futurity franked Locked’s versatility.

“He’s an outstanding 2-year-old colt that certainly gives you every feeling that he’s going to continue to improve and will handle added distance,” Pletcher said with a nod to races in 2023. “We’ve been excited about him all summer. It’s been great to see his development. Hopefully he makes another move forward in the Juvenile.”

Pletcher has three promising 2-year-olds racing Friday, the others being Candied and Agate Road.

With her 2-for-2 record, Candied has 4-1 program odds in the 1 1/16-mile Juvenile Fillies. With a six-furlong, debut win at Saratoga and a Grade 1 score in the 1 1/16-mile Alcibiades last month at Keeneland, the Candy Ride filly owned by Wellman appears to be more of a pure closer than Locked. But Pletcher said the way for Luis Sáez to win would be no different for Candied, who faces California equine bombshell and 4-5 favorite Tamara.

“Same way,” he said. “Just try to get a good position going into the first turn. Give her an opportunity to get in the clear and make that big move that she’s had in both of her races.”

Agate Road, who won the 1 1/16-mile Pilgrim (G2) last month in New York, was made 8-1 cutting back for the one-mile Juvenile Turf. Ireland trainer Aidan O’Brien, who has won this race a record five times, has the top two choices in Group 2 winner River Tiber at 3-1 and Group 1 runner-up Unquestionable at 4-1.

“You always have to respect the European turf horses, for sure,” Pletcher said. “In these types of races with a full field, it’s all about the trip.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride Agate Road, a Quality Road colt who is 2-for-2 on turf for owners Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola.

“He’s got a really good turn of foot,” Pletcher said. “We just need to get lucky and get him into position where he can produce it at the right time.”

The National Weather Service predicted more warm sunshine for Santa Anita this week with highs of 86 degrees Wednesday, 86 Thursday, 82 for Friday’s races and 81 for the climactic day of Breeders’ Cup 2023.