Pletcher lines up older stable stars for Saratoga's Woodward

Trainer Todd Pletcher sent out the trio of Vino Rosso, Noble Indy and Wooderson for works Friday at Saratoga in anticipation of starts on Saratoga's closing weekend.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Vino Rosso went five furlongs in a bullet 58.60 seconds, fastest of 21 horses at the distance including Repole's Noble Indy, who had the second-fastest time at 59 seconds. Let's Go Stable's Wooderson sped through a half-mile in 47.47 seconds, ranking third of 126 horses.

Pletcher said the three 4-year-olds are the "most likely" of his nine nominees to run in the Grade 1, $750,000 Woodward on August 31, though he is leaning toward keeping Noble Indy on grass for the Grade 2, $250,000 Bernard Baruch on September 2.

"We worked all three of them this morning and I was happy with all their works," he said. "We're sort of in the process of deciding who we're going to run. We'll assess how they come out of it and see what we're going to do here in the next few days."

Vino Rosso is coming off a third-place finish behind McKinzie in the August 3 Whitney (G1) in his first race since becoming a Grade 1 winner with his three-quarter-length triumph in the Gold Cup at Santa Anita (G1). The son of Curlin owns five wins and more than $1.3 million in purse earnings from 13 starts, but is 0-for-3 at Saratoga.

"He had a very good work this morning," Pletcher said Friday. "It seems like he's been in good form based on what we saw today."

Wooderson exits a runner-up finish behind Woodward candidate Tom's d'Etat in the August 2 Alydar at Saratoga. It was the best finish in three tries against stakes company for the Awesome Again colt, who owns a win and two seconds lifetime over Saratoga's main track.

"I thought he ran an encouraging race in the Alydar," Pletcher said. "It was a step in the right direction. This was his second good breeze since then, so it seems like he's maintaining his form."

Winless in nine tries since winning the Louisiana Derby (G2) last March as the favorite, Noble Indy has made each of his last three starts on the turf with one second and one third in a pair of optional claimers at Belmont Park. Most recently, he ran fourth by two lengths August 3 at Saratoga in the Lure, run at the same 1 1/16 miles as the Baruch.

"He's kind of seemed to find new life on the grass," Pletcher said. "Right now, I'd say it's more likely he'd run in the Bernard Baruch but we'll see how he comes out of this breeze and keep an eye on the Woodward as well."

Also nominated to the Woodward is Robert LaPenta and Head of Plains Partners' Coal Front, the Godolphin Mile (G2) winner that is 0-for-2 since returning from Dubai. He is scheduled to work Saturday with an eye on the Grade 2, $300,000 Kelso Handicap on September 21 at Belmont Park.

"I'd say he's most likely going to go to the Kelso," Pletcher said. "He drew the rail in the Met Mile and set a blistering pace, and then I probably made an error running him at Monmouth. It was wicked hot that day and he didn't handle those conditions at all. He was not himself in the paddock and just never really fired."