Fantastico Roberto Adds Blinkers

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who has a strong string stabled on the Monmouth backside this season, will most likely be represented in every major stakes event during the 50-day Elite Summer Meet.

Pletcher gained his first stakes win of the season here Sunday with Ibboyee in the Spend a Buck Stakes, and will send out Team Valor International’s Fantastico Roberto in Saturday’s $100,000 Lamplighter Stakes for 3-year-olds on the grass.

The Irish-bred colt by Refuse to Bend has run three strong races in the U.S. since arriving here last July. He began his career in Italy, winning both his starts at Florence last May.

In his American debut, Fantastico Roberto ran on Arlington’s Polytrack, finishing fourth in the Spectacular Bid Stakes last August. In September, the colt rallied to finish third in the Grade 3 Summer Stakes on turf at Woodbine.

He spent the winter with Pletcher’s string at the Palm Meadows training track in Florida, shipping to Keeneland on April 14 to run a sharp second in a grass allowance event.

“He came to Monmouth from Florida, and he’s been training here all month” said Anthony Sciametta, who is in charge of Pletcher’s horses at Monmouth. “He ran two good races on the grass for Todd.”

Sciametta said Fantastico Roberto will add blinkers for his try in the Longfellow.

“We’ve worked him twice in the blinkers,” the assistant trainer said, “and he’s been doing fine since he got here.”

Chris DeCarlo, who rode the colt in the Woodbine race last year, has the call on Saturday.