Busy Weekend for Pletcher
It was a big afternoon Saturday for trainer Todd Pletcher’s powerful stable with the stunning, track record performance of Quality Road in the Donn Handicap (G1) minutes after Take the Points’ big effort finishing first in the Gulfstream Park Turf Handicap (G1) before he was disqualified by the stewards.
The busy weekend continued for the Pletcher team Sunday morning at Palm Meadows with eight stable stakes stars posting workouts, including Mr. John Magnier and partners’ 4-year-old Munnings and Stronach Stable’s 5-year-old Harlem Rocker, both nominated for next Saturday’s renewal of the $150,000 Gulfstream Sprint Championship (G2).
Munnings was timed an easy five furlongs in 1:02 4/5 while Harlem Rocker clocked the same distance in 1:02. Munnings is preparing for his first start since finishing third behind Kodiak Kowboy in the Vosburgh Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park on Oct. 3. Harlem Rocker finished fourth behind Quality Road in the Hal’s Hope Stakes (G3) here on Jan. 3.
Also on the work tab for Pletcher were 3-year-olds Super Saver (48 1/5), Aikenite (1:00 4/5), Discreetly Mine (1:00 2/5), Eskendereya (1:00 2/5) and Rule (1:00 4/5). Rounding out the Pletcher team workers was Edward P. Evans’ 4-year-old filly Casanova Move, who earned the ‘bullet’ for five furlongs at 1:00 flat.
The stable’s busy weekend continues Sunday afternoon with runners entered in two races at Gulfstream, most notably Wertheimer et Frere’s 3-year-old Kentucky homebred Interactif, the likely favorite in the $100,000 Hallandale Beach Stakes in his first start since finishing a close-up third in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) at Santa Anita on Nov. 7.
Leading the Sunday morning work tab at Gulfstream Park was Kingfield Stable’s Buddy’s Saint, who drilled six furlongs in 1:12 2/5 as he continues preparation for his highly-anticipated 3-year-old debut in the $250,000 Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on Sat., Feb. 20.
Trained by Bruce Levine, the son of Saint Liam completed his juvenile campaign winning the Remsen Stakes (G2) at Aqueduct by 4 ¾ lengths on Nov. 28 after romping home by 12 lengths in the Nashua Stakes (G2) over the track three weeks earlier. The two stakes wins came after he finished first in his debut at Belmont Park in late September, but disqualified for interference in the stretch.