THOROUGHBRED BEAT
NOVEMBER 30, 2005
by James Scully
Pletcher — Todd Pletcher enjoyed a spectacular holiday weekend,
winning the Cigar Mile H. (G1), Clark H. (G2), Falls City H. (G2) and Remsen S.
(G2) and finishing second in the Top Flight H. (G2), Demoiselle S. (G2) and
Kentucky Jockey Club S. (G2). He also established a new single-season earnings
record, shattering Bobby Frankel’s previous mark of $19.1 million. The New
York-based conditioner didn’t win a Breeders’ Cup or Triple Crown race this
year, and there were no lucrative bonuses or victories abroad in Dubai. Pletcher and
his staff just won races prolifically, earning more than $20.1 million so far
this year. Their first graded win came in the February 5 Old Hat S. (G3), and
they proceeded to win a total of 36 graded events, adding the Travers S. (G1), Blue Grass S. (G1), Ogden Phipps H. (G1),
Shadwell Turf Mile (G1), Carter H. (G1), Go
for Wand H. (G1), Beldame S. (G1), Frizette S. (G1), Brooklyn H. (G2), Kentucky
Cup Classic (G2), Lexington S. (G2), Lane’s End S. (G2), Jim Dandy S. (G2),
Black-Eyed Susan S. (G2), Hutcheson S. (G2), Spinaway S. (G2), Pan American H.
(G2), Orchid H. (G2), Molly Pitcher Breeders’ Cup H. (G2), Virginia Derby (G3), National Jockey Club H. (G3),
Pegasus S. (G3), Sixty Sails H. (G3), Sabin
H. (G3), The Very One H. (G3), Lake George S. (G3), Glens Falls H. (G3),
Perryville S. (G3), Nashua S. (G3), Discovery H. (G3) and Turnback the Alarm H.
(G3) to the list of their accomplishments. It’s been a terrific season for the
38-year-old Pletcher, who is overdue to win his first Triple Crown race.
Bluegrass hopes — BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat) has Pletcher thinking
Kentucky Derby (G1) following his impressive 1 3/4-length score in Saturday’s
Remsen. From an excellent female family and a half-brother to 2005 Grade 2
winner Lord of the Game (Saint Ballado), Bluegrass Cat notched his third
straight win (three for four overall) and entered the 1 1/8-mile Remsen off a
good victory in his stakes bow, the Nashua S. (G3) in late October. Setting the
pace from the start, the bay colt repulsed a challenge at the top of the stretch
and finished strong on Saturday, coming home with a final quarter in :23 4/5.
The last Remsen starter to win the Kentucky Derby was Thunder Gulch, who
Pletcher helped care for as an assistant to D. Wayne Lukas in 1994-95. Bluegrass
Cat looks like a major player on the three-year-old scene in 2006.
Unveiled — INDIAN VALE (A.P. Indy) didn’t make her career bow until
July and her first stakes win came as the lone speed against four lesser
regarded rivals in the November 5 Turnback the Alarm H. at Aqueduct. She faced a
much more difficult challenge in Thursday’s Falls City H. and simply crushed her
competition, opening up a clear advantage leaving the far turn and rolling down
the stretch to a 6 1/2-length decision. Rivals left in her wake included
Spinster S. (G1) heroine Pampered Princess (Indian Charlie), and the chestnut
three-year-old earned a whopping 110 BRIS Speed rating for her outstanding
performance. A one-dimensional speedball in her previous four starts, Indian
Vale proved she could rate in the Falls City, and distance is never going to be
an issue for this well-bred miss. The first foal from 1999 Test S. (G1) winner
Marley Vale (Forty Niner), Indian Vale will enter next season as one of the top
two distaffers in training along with Smuggler (Unbridled). She’s going to be
fun to watch.
Magnificent — MAGNA GRADUATE (Honor Grades) stepped up to face elders
for the first time in Friday’s Clark H. and received the perfect stalking trip under John Velazquez during the opening stages of the nine-furlong
contest. The sophomore moved to the fore on the far turn, but Suave (A.P. Indy)
was also launching his bid on the outside and had collared Magna Graduate by
upper stretch. These two hooked up for a thrilling drive, with Magna Graduate
eventually wearing his rival down by a head in the final strides. Winner of the
Discovery and Pegasus in his previous two starts, the improving colt earned his
biggest victory by far on Friday and will enter his four-year-old campaign as a
top prospect in the handicap division. Pletcher has a strong hand for all the
major events next year with Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) and Magna Graduate.
Better late than never — October proved to be a forgettable month for
the connections of ALKAASED (Kingmambo). Winner of the Grand Prix de Saint Cloud
(Fr-G1) and Jockey Club S. (Eng-G2) this season, the English-based five-year-old
missed a scheduled start in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Fr-G1) due to a small
cut on his leg that became infected. He was pre-entered to the Breeders’ Cup
Turf (G1), but the Luca Cumani trainee made the trip to New York for naught when
he was declared from the race due to concerns over soft turf. Alkaased finally
got the chance to run in Sunday’s Japan Cup (Jpn-G1) and turned in the best
performance of his career, surging to the front in the final 100 meters and
holding sway in dramatic fashion over the hard-charging Heart’s Cry (Sunday
Silence). He established a new course record in Tokyo and provided jockey
Frankie Dettori with his third Japan Cup tally. Alkaased is another classic
example of a horse who didn’t find his best stride until his later years. A
$325,000 yearling purchase at the 2001 Keeneland September sale, the bay horse
wasn’t much of a runner at two or three for Sir Michael Stoute, winning only one
of six starts. Shadwell gave up on him, selling him for only 42,000 guineas, and
Alkaased didn’t immediately turn things around at four for Cumani. However, he
improved by leaps and bounds in 2005, and it would be a shame to see him head to
stud when he’s just getting real good.