Life At Ten Doing Well
Life At Ten, whose six-race win streak will be put on the line against reigning Horse of the Year Rachel Alexandra in the Grade 1 Personal Ensign on August 29, came out of Tuesday’s work in good order, said trainer Todd Pletcher.
The winner of the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps worked a half-mile in a moderate 51.46 by herself under exercise rider Patti Barry.
“She came out of it very well,” said Pletcher. “She will work five furlongs, in company, next Monday.”
Friday, Pletcher will saddle Interactif in the Grade 2 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes, his second start back on the turf since a foray onto the Triple Crown trail. The Broken Vow colt is cutting back to 1 1/8th miles from the 1 ¼ miles of the Virginia Derby, in which he was second to Paddy O’Prado.
“I think he’s handled a variety of distances well,” said Pletcher of Interactif, who has won at distances ranging from five furlongs to 1 1/16th miles. “He’s also a horse that has run well on all three surfaces. With the Belmont [seventh behind Drosselmeyer] we were taking a shot. We knew we were stepping out, but it was based on how he was doing at the time and the field that was assembled for the race.”
He added that Take the Points, who was not entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Sword Dancer because of an ankle issue, continues to make progress and could be back on the track by Thursday.
“We are going to play it day-by-day,” said Pletcher of the dual Grade 1 winner, most recently second in the Grade 1 United Nations Handicap.
The 4-year-old Even the Score colt’s scheduled workout on Monday was put off because of the wrenched ankle, and Pletcher said in order to have made the Sword Dancer he would have had to work Wednesday.
“Basically, we ran out of time,” Pletcher said.