Pletcher’s Gotham Day runners out in force

Harpoon could ship to New York for the Gotham (SV Photography) Members of Todd Pletcher’s New York contingent took to the fast Belmont training track on Sunday to turn in final breezes in the lead up to Gotham Day, March 1, at Aqueduct. Master Lightning, one of Pletcher’s three sophomore colts under consideration for the Grade 3, $500,000 Gotham, breezed four furlongs in :49 2/5. Teen Pauline and Royal Lahaina, both probable for the Grade 2, $200,000 Top Flight Handicap, breezed in company and covered four furlongs in :48 3/5. Both Master Lightning and stablemate Surfing U S A are probable for the Gotham. Sam F. Davis nose runner-up Harpoon is possible. Surfing U S A and Harpoon, currently training at Palm Meadows, each clocked a bullet half-mile in :47 4/5 on Sunday over the Florida venue’s fast dirt. After winning an entry-level optional claimer by three-quarters of a length in December at Aqueduct, Master Lightning finished seventh in the Big A’s Jerome on January 4 and a well-beaten fourth in the January 25 Miracle Wood at Laurel Park. “(Master Lightning) was in hand and galloped out very strongly and looked very well,” assistant trainer Byron Hughes said of Master Lightning’s breeze. “His coat is shining and looks great.” Teen Pauline has won two straight at Aqueduct, taking the Affectionately by 4 3/4 lengths on New Year’s Day and the Ladies Handicap by 10 3/4 lengths on January 25. Royal Lahaina was third and fifth, respectively, in those two races.

“They both went well and were in hand,” Hughes noted. “They
galloped out together and definitely are good work partners.”

Pletcher trainees weren’t the only ones taking to Belmont’s training track on
Sunday. Trainer Leah Gyarmati also tightened the screws on Gotham contender Deceived, who breezed six
furlongs in company with Sweet Reason. Both
sophomores were clocked in 1:16.

Deceived is set to make his first start against open company in the 1
1/16-mile Gotham for three-year-olds. In his past
three starts, the bay son of Broken Vow broke his maiden by 7 1/2 lengths on
December 7, finished third by 19 1/2 lengths 11 days later in the Damon Runyon,
and won an entry-level optional claimer by 8 1/4 lengths on January 31. All three
races were at Aqueduct and were restricted to New York-breds.

Sweet Reason, who won the Spinaway in September at
Saratoga, is unraced since finishing fourth in the Breeders’
Cup Juvenile Fillies in November at Santa Anita.

“She kind of opened up a little at the end, and he came back on the inside
for the gallop out, so it worked out well for them, mentally,” Gyarmati
described the move. “They both thought they won.”

Gyarmati said she put a lot of thought into her decision to
have Deceived breeze six furlongs six days before the Gotham.

“It’s hard when you’re not able to train every day to jump up and do things,” Gyarmati
explained. “You don’t want to go from jogging in the barn
for four days to breezing a mile, so you kind of have got to compromise, but
he’s good and fit and has been running.”

Gyarmati has not committed to a comeback race for Sweet
Reason, but did say Aqueduct’s Grade 2, $300,000 Gazelle for three-year-old fillies
on April 5 is possible.

“I’d like to make the Gazelle; I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going
to get there,” Gyarmati admitted. “With the weather, I don’t want
to do anything stupid. I’m going to just train her until she’s ready. When she’s
ready, I’m going to find something, and we’ll go from there.”

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