Seth Benzel, Todd Pletcher's New York assistant, will open a public racing stable of his own starting May 1.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Playful Act, whose $10.5-million price is the record for a broodmare or broodmare prospect sold at public auction, will be bred this year to Street Cry.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Rags to Riches, the first filly in 102 years to win the Belmont Stakes (gr. I), was voted champion 3-year-old filly of 2007. She finished ahead of two other Todd Pletcher trainees--Octave and Panty Raid--in Eclipse Award voting.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Grade I winner Octave, whose $4 million price was the second-highest at the recent Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale, has been retired to become a broodmare for Sheikh Mohammed's Darley in Central Kentucky.
Monday, November 12, 2007
There has been much hand-wringing and questioning over the circumstances surrounding the sale of multiple grade I-winning filly Octave to agent John Ferguson for $4 million at the Nov. 4 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky mixed sale.
Monday, November 05, 2007
Round Pond, at $5.75 million, helps the Fasig-Tipton November select mixed sale post sizable increases in its average and median price.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Efforts by officials of Fasig-Tipton Kentucky to attract top young race fillies paid off with the Nov. 4 mixed sale getting the fall auction season off to a good start.
Sunday, November 04, 2007
The 2007 edition of the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November selected sale is expected to be a star-studded affair with grade I-winning broodmare prospects and grade I producers filling the catalog pages.
Friday, November 02, 2007
Octave is headed to the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November mixed sale after finishing third in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I).
Monday, October 29, 2007
In the most thrilling stretch duel of the day, Ginger Punch took the worst of it on the rail but still won the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I) over Hystericalady.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
By Jason Shandler - The late Saturday Pick 4 looks like an appetizing way to bet the World Championships.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Two days before the Oct. 26-27 Breeders' Cup World Championships, trainer Todd Pletcher reviewed his 11 starters and shared his thoughts on the upcoming races, including possible scratches should the surfaces turn up wet or yielding due to weekend showers.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Jack and Laurie Wolf and John and Jerry Amerman will all be looking for their second victory in the Breeders' Cup Distaff when they send out Octave and Balance, respectively, Saturday at Monmouth Park.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
It's not surprising a Todd Pletcher-trained filly was made the favorite for the Oct. 27 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Distaff (gr. I), it's just a little surprising which one.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Trainer Todd Pletcher reported Sept. 24 that Any Given Saturday, Octave, and Fairbanks came out of their respective starts over the weekend in good shape.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Front-running Bear Now shook loose of the prohibitive favorite Octave in the final furlong to upset the $750,000 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap (gr. II) by two lengths in stakes record time at Philadelphia Park Sept. 22.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Leading trainer Todd Pletcher will try for his fourth Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap (gr. II) title, as two-time Grade I winner Octave leads a field of eight 3-year-old fillies for the 1 1/16-mile event at Philadelphia Park.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Entering the 127th running of the Alabama (gr. I), all the talk was about Octave, who had won consecutive grade I races in New York this summer, one of them over Lady Joanne. This time, Lady Joanne was not to be denied. She held off not only Octave, but a determined Lear's Princess, to win by a neck in a heart-pounding finish on Saratoga's main track.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
In the stable yard in front of Todd Pletcher's main shedrow, blacksmith Ray Amato is fitting Octave with a new pair of racing plates in preparation for her start in this afternoon's Alabama (gr. I). The gray filly stands draped in a black blanket, four white bandages encasing her delicate legs. Her ears slump sideways, eyelids droop at half-mast. She yawns and rests, quietly at ease.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
For a long time, it looked as though Octave would never break her reputation as a bridesmaid. Five consecutive second-place finishes -- all in graded-stakes competition -- earned her that tag. But two grade I wins later, all that talk is in the past.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Belmont Stakes winner Rags to Riches posted a five-furlong workout over Saratoga's main track Aug. 12, after which trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed the Michael Tabor-owned filly will not run in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes (gr. I) Aug. 18. Instead, Pletcher plans to run multiple Grade 1 winner Octave and American Oaks (gr. I) winner Panty Raid, both of whom also worked Aug. 12, in the 1 1/4-mile Alabama.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Belmont Stakes (gr. I) winner Rags to Riches worked Aug. 5 over Saratoga's main track, but trainer Todd Pletcher said he's still contemplating the filly's next start.
Sunday, August 05, 2007
There may have been questions about Octave's winning desire after five consecutive runner-up efforts dating back to last year's Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I). But not after the quality filly made it back-to-back grade I victories Saturday in the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Octave shed her role as a bridesmaid when she won the Mother Goose (gr. I) at Belmont Park June 30 and will try to win successive grade I's when she competes Saturday in Belmont's feature race, the $300,000 Coaching Club American Oaks at 1 1/4 miles for 3-year-old fillies.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Unbridled's Song shook things up in a big way June 30 at Belmont Park when he sired the winners of both the Suburban Handicap (gr. I) and Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I).
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Second in each of her last five starts, odds-on choice Octave defeated three rivals while becoming a grade I winner for the first time in the $237,500 Mother Goose for 3-year-old fillies at Belmont Park Saturday.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Trainer Todd Pletcher has given the nod for Octave to start in Saturday's $250,000 Mother Goose Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park. The nine-furlong race, which is restricted to three-year-old fillies and is the second leg of the Triple Tiara, drew a compact field of four horses.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Trainer Todd Pletcher unleashed more than a handful of his stakes horses for workouts at Belmont Park Sunday morning, including 3-year-old stars Rags to Riches and Any Given Saturday.
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Rags to Riches put on a spectacular performance to win the Kentucky Oaks Friday, her third straight grade I win.
Friday, May 04, 2007
The countdown to the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) is on and the connections of the 14 fillies expected in the starting gate are eager to race for the lilies on the First Friday in May at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
A full field of 14, led by California grade I winner Rags to Riches, is set to go postward in Friday's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
With Friday's 133rd edition of the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) coming up quickly, a pair of 3-year-old lassies out of the Todd Pletcher barn did some serious leg stretching Saturday morning at Keeneland on a cloudy and crisp morning.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Calling the :58.91 move "as good as a horse could work," trainer Todd Pletcher expressed great pleasure with the five-furlong performance of Cowtown Cat over the Keeneland Polytrack Saturday morning.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Illinois Derby (gr. II) winner Cowtown Cat, one of trainer Todd Pletcher's horses currently being pointed toward the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I), worked five furlongs in :58 2/5 at Keeneland on the Polytrack surface Saturday.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the winner of the Las Virgenes (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. II), remained an overwhelming 3-2 favorite as the final pool in Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager came to a close Sunday evening.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the winner of the Las Virgenes (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. II), remained a strong favorite at the midpoint of betting in Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the Todd Pletcher-trained winner of the Las Virgenes (gr. I) and Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), will be a heavy favorite when the third and final pool Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager ("KOFW") launches its four-day run April 12.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
It felt a little like Christmas at Keeneland Saturday, where temperatures approached freezing. Naturally, Christmas Kid felt right at home in winning the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) for 3-year-old fillies and becoming a major contender for next month's Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Octave and Mistical Plan are set for a rematch in the $500,000 Ashland Stakes (gr. I) April 7, going 1 1/16 miles over the Polytrack surface at Keeneland Race Course. In addition to Octave and Mistical Plan, seven other fillies, including High Again and Christmas Kid, are expected in the starting gate.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, the Todd Pletcher-trained dominating winner in Sunday's Santa Anita Oaks (gr. I), stood as a solid favorite in Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager when wagering on the four-day pool concluded on Sunday evening.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
J. Paul Reddam's Mistical Plan emerged from a strong pace battle with the lead and was never headed while leaving the field behind in the stretch run of the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) for 3-year-old fillies Saturday.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Frank Calabrese's champion filly Dreaming of Anna held a narrow edge over Rags to Riches and the field as the favorite at the midway point of four days of betting in pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
Rags to Riches has been installed as the morning line choice for Pool 2 of Churchill Downs' 2007 Kentucky Oaks Future Wager, which opens its four-day run March 8. The 24 betting interests in KOFW Pool 2 include nine fillies that were not among the horses listed in February's opening pool.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Heiligbrodt Racing Stable's Appealing Zophie has been installed as the 5-2 morning line favorite among eight 3-year-old fillies for the $400,000 Fair Grounds Oaks (gr. II) March 10 at Fair Grounds Race Course.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Derrick Smith and Michael Tabor's Rags to Riches, winner of the Las Virgenes (gr. I) at Santa Anita in her stakes debut, and Frank Calabrese's homebred Dreaming of Anna, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, head a record roster of 192 sophomore fillies nominated to the 133rd running of the $500,000-added Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Frank Calabrese's unbeaten homebred Dreaming of Anna, winner of the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) and the Eclipse Award winner as the champion 2-year-old filly of 2006, continued to draw strong support, but the wagering interest that represented "all other 3-year-old fillies" remained a solid favorite as Pool 1 of Churchill Downs' Kentucky Oaks Future Wager reached the midway point of its four-day run on Friday.
Friday, February 09, 2007
Street Sense, 10-length winner of the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (gr. I), received the high weight assignment of 127 pounds on the 2006 Experimental Free Handicap, released today by The Jockey Club.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
While trainer Todd Pletcher had a record number of Breeders' Cup World Championship runners, none of them were able to bring home the victory as his stable went 0-17 at Churchill Downs Nov. 4.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Under blue skies with wispy clouds, the Breeders' Cup World Championships got off to a formful start at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., when favorite Dreaming of Anna led gate to wire to take the $1,832,000 Juvenile Fillies (gr. I).
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Cash Included, winner of the Oak Leaf Stakes (gr. I) at Santa Anita Park in her first start around two turns, is the 3-1 morning-line favorite for the $2-million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
