Gamble Pays Off for Sweet N Discreet
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Trainer Todd Pletcher entered Sweet N Discreet in two Sunshine Millions events, the $300,000 Distaff and the $150,000 Filly & Mare Sprint, and waited until the eleventh hour to opt for the nine-furlong Distaff despite the fact that the 4-year-old had never attempted two turns. That gamble paid off as Sweet N Discreet made a decisive move on the far turn en route to her first career stakes victory.
“I was (concerned about the distance), until about the three-eighths
pole, and then I felt pretty good about it,” Pletcher said. “She’s a
filly that we always thought a lot of, especially as a 2-year-old. It
took her a little while to get everything together, and it took her
trainer about two years to figure out that she wanted to run longer.”
A homebred for the E. Paul Robsham Stables, Sweet N Discreet ($8.00)
broke alertly from her rail post and relaxed in third while tracking the
tepid pace set by Devil’s Cave. Odds-on Toasting was at the back of the
pack through six furlongs in 1:14 2/5, and jockey Joe Bravo gave Sweet N
Discreet her cue on the far turn. The Discreet Cat filly quickened up
and took command. Devil’s Cave continued on gamely, but Sweet N Discreet
held her at bay for a 1 ½-length success while completing the nine
furlongs in 1:50 1/5. Toasting made up some ground to finish third while
never threatening the top two fillies.
“It unfolded sort-of how we thought it would,” Pletcher added. “We were
able to get into a good, comfortable spot and pop outside and get into a
nice rhythm down the backside. She was traveling really well. It looked
like Joe went into the far turn with a lot of horse and decided to blow
the race open right there, and he was able to do it.”
Bravo had been in the irons for Sweet N Discreet’s last three starts.
“She ran really relaxed and comfortable the first part of the race,” he
said. “She had a really nice target off those other horses. Because she
was able to go so easy, she was able to have that good turn of foot
that she shows sprinting and stretch it out to a mile and an eighth. She
ran great today. My hat’s off to (trainer) Todd (Pletcher); he did all
the work.”
Sweet N Discreet paired up optional-claiming wins going six furlongs at
Gulfstream on October 27 and December 3. She stretched out to a mile
for the Ocala Stakes on December 29, but settled for second that day to
Devil’s Cave. It appears that routing is in her future, according to
Pletcher.
“We’ll see how she comes out of it and consider all the races, like the Sabin (G2 on February 16) and the Rampart (G2 on March 29),” Pletcher said.
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