Pletcher puts Vino Rosso's 'main focus' on Breeders' Cup Classic

Bal Harbour emerged from Saturday's Woodward Stakes (G1) with a solid second-place finish, while Todd Pletcher-trained stablemate Wooderson finished sixth.

Pletcher scratched his third potential runner, multiple graded stakes winner Vino Rosso, from the nine-furlong feature in favor of the Grade 1, $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on September 28 at Belmont Park.

"It was a really tough decision with Vino Rosso," said Pletcher. "We wavered back and forth for a long time. Our main focus is to get him to the Breeders' Cup Classic in good fashion. We felt like running twice was not the best way to get there. He's always run okay at Saratoga but is a little better at mile and a quarter. With that thinking running a mile and a quarter five weeks from the Classic [Jockey Club Gold Cup] will hopefully put us in a better position.

"That being said, Bal Harbour put up a gutsy effort. It was a tough beat, but it looks like he has taken himself to a new level. Wooderson also emerged out of the race okay and we'll look to regroup with him."

The Breeders' Cup Classic runs Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park over the same 1 1/4-mile distance as Vino Rosso's Gold Cup score.

On Saturday, Pletcher 3-year-olds Social Paranoia and Current also breezed in preparation for a potential start in the $1 million Jockey Club Derby, the final leg of the inaugural NYRA Turf Triple Series and a Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" race. 

"Both are doing well," said Pletcher. "I'm not sure we're going to run both. Current is more likely to head to the Jockey Club Derby while Social Paranoia is also under consideration for the Dueling Grounds Derby [at Kentucky Downs]."

Lastly, Pletcher reported Marconi and You're To Blame are both on schedule to make their next starts at Belmont in the inaugural Jockey Club Grand Prix going 1 3/8 miles on the dirt.