Pletcher Approaching 5,000 Wins as Breeders' Cup Nears

Todd Pletcher, one win away from 5,000 as a trainer, could achieve the milestone during the two days of the Breeders' Cup at Keeneland—if he doesn't do it sooner at another track.

The 53-year-old has the favorite in the first race Nov. 5 at Gulfstream Park West, where William Ziemba and Elyse Mach's Seize the Hay races in a maiden claimer, and he runs seven horses at Keeneland Nov.  6. Three of those—Mutasaabeq, Union Gables, and Likeable—are in Breeders' Cup races. Also that day, he entered a pair of horses at Aqueduct Racetrack.

On Nov. 7, he has Halladay and Valiance running in Breeders' Cup races for older horses. Halladay goes in the FanDuel Breeders' Cup Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T), and Valiance races in the Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1).

Pletcher, speaking this week with a pool reporter from the National Turf Writers and Broadcasters, said it would be "kinda cool" if the milestone victory came on the Breeders' Cup stage. Only seven trainers have reached 5,000 wins in North America.

Whenever the victory comes, he will appreciate it.

"It's a tribute to a lot of great horses over the years and a lot of hard work from a lot of people," he said. "It literally takes a huge team to supervise all that. So we're grateful. We're hoping it happens soon."

He acknowledged that sometimes you can go through a cold streak when approaching a milestone win.

"It seems like a lot of times you see—you get right on the cusp of that milestone and you then have trouble getting through," he said. "We had five chances at Belmont over the weekend, and we couldn't quite get there."

Most of Pletcher's runners Friday and Saturday at Keeneland are at 8-1 odds or higher on the morning line, an indication of how deep and classy this week's races are. But the trainer will have one of the public choices in the Bryan Station Stakes on Friday with Wertheimer et Frere's No Word and with Shadwell Stable's Mutasaabeq in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Presented by Coolmore America (G1T).

Last year, Pletcher went to Santa Anita Park with a group of Breeders' Cup runners, winning the Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) with Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Vino Rosso . That gave the seven-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer his 11th Breeders' Cup victory.

"Coming in a little different, a different group this year. We have some young horses that are doing really well, but we don't have that clear-cut standout," he said. "I was very pleased with the way Mutasaabeq (won) the Bourbon Stakes (G2T) as a prep for the Juvenile Turf, and he's been training great."

Both of his Breeders' Cup runners Saturday are in top form, including Valiance, who has local experience. Last month she won the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) over the 1 1/8-mile distance of the Distaff on the Keeneland main track. The Tapit  filly races for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz, and China Horse Club.

"She has filled out and gotten stronger, and that has allowed her to get better on the dirt this year as opposed to being primarily a turf filly," Pletcher said.

Harrell Ventures' Halladay seeks a Mile win after missing a scheduled start in the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) at Keeneland Oct. 3 due to a hind-leg infection. The speedy grade 1-winning son of War Front  drew post 10 in a field of 14.

"It is important to get a good start because there is not a lot of margin for error with that short run to the first turn," Pletcher said.

Regardless of when and where victory No. 5,000 comes, Pletcher does not have any post-race celebration in store. 

"I think you just have to move on. The one thing in this business is you don't get a lot of time to sit back and savor the wins as much because there (are) more races to go."