Mindframe vs. Fierceness in the Whitney? Pletcher isn't sure
Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher always thought Mindframe had a chance to be special. The son of Constitution only added to that belief when he placed second in the Belmont Stakes and Grade 1 Haskell last year.
A late-starting season that held such promise abruptly ended, however, because of bone bruising. The good news for co-owners Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola of St. Elias Stables is that their Maryland-bred is making up for lost time.
He is 3-for-3 this year, with victories in the Gulfstream Park Mile (G2) on March 1 and consecutive Grade 1 scores in the May 3 Churchill Downs Stakes and the June 28 Stephen Foster. He clipped Banishing by a neck in the Churchill Down Stakes and repelled surging Breeders’ Cup Classic victor Sierra Leone by a length in the Stephen Foster.
Given the $1 million purse and the prestige of the tradition-rich Whitney (G1), that Aug. 2 contest would seem to be the obvious choice for Mindframe’s next start. But it is far more complicated than that.
The opportunity to win the Whitney figured prominently in Repole’s thinking when he decided to bring back Fierceness for his 4-year-old season. How would he feel if Mindframe denied Fierceness or vice versa?
“It’s great to have two horses like that. You hate to run the two of them against each other,” Pletcher said. “But at the same time, you’ve got to do what’s best for each individual horse. And that’s what we’ve got to balance out.”
Considering the bone bruising that sidelined Mindframe for the second half of last season, making certain he has ample spacing between starts is especially important. Pletcher is considering giving the colt additional time after the Stephen Foster by passing on the Whitney and aiming for the $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) on Aug. 31 at Saratoga.
“You’ve got the Whitney, but you’re also targeting the (Nov. 1) Breeders’ Cup Classic, so maybe you hold off and run the two of them against each other there (at Del Mar),” Pletcher said. “We’ll try to figure out what’s right.”
Whichever race is selected, Mindframe is showing he is ready for more. “I was impressed by his energy level following the race and shipping back here,” Pletcher said. “He’s been full of himself the first few days back on the track. I’m really happy with the way he came out of it.”
Fierceness is giving every indication that he will be at the top of him game for the Whitney. He turned in a sharp work Friday at Saratoga in his first drill since he was second best to Raging Torrent in the June 7 Met Mile (G1) at the Spa. He clocked 48.72 seconds for four furlongs, ranking 14th of 80 workers at the distance that holiday morning.
Pletcher credited Raging Torrent for an impressive performance in the Met Mile but thought the 2 1/2-length gap was a bit deceptive because of Fierceness’ difficult trip. He compared it to the colt’s disappointing 3-year-old debut, another race in which he could not overcome early adversity.
“If you go back and watch the head-on, it reminds me a lot of the Holy Bull (G3), a very rough beginning, had to steady across the winner’s heels and then had to kind of fight for position with White Abarrio and got shuffled around a bit,” Pletcher said. “It seemed to take him out of his element a touch, but the other horse made the lead and just kept going.
“One concern I had was running out of the Wilson chute from the 1 hole. It was kind of a tricky situation. But he didn’t run badly. He didn’t run nearly as well as the Alysheba.”
Fierceness broke the Churchill Downs track for 1 1/16 miles in the Alysheba (G2), stopping the teletimer at 1:40.66.
The two stellar 4-year-olds help compensate for a 3-year-old class that has been largely disappointing. Pletcher, typically prominent in the Triple Crown races, did not have a Kentucky Derby starter. River Thames could do no better than sixth in the Preakness. Uncaged and Crudo finished seventh and eighth, respectively, in the eight-horse Belmont Stakes.
Tip Top Thomas provided a bright spot on Saturday, setting a track record of 1:41.15 in the 1 1/16-mile Indiana Derby (G3) while fending off Coal Battle by a half-length.
Pletcher is looking forward to the July 10 opening of the 40-day Saratoga meet, which extends through Labor Day. He owns a record 14 training titles at Saratoga, last topping the standings in 2020. He tied Mike Maker for second last year with 22 wins, 23 victories behind local favorite Chad Brown. He knows his fortunes will largely rest on his unraced 2-year-olds.
He said a rainy spring put them “a tick behind,” but he is optimistic that their talent and regal breeding will eventually show. “We’re pleased with what we’re seeing,” he said, hoping potential turns into eye-opening results.