Pletcher's Cigar Mile Trio Breezes at Belmont
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Trainer Todd Pletcher's three contenders for the Cigar Mile Handicap (gr. I)—Forty Tales, Capo Bastone, and Verrazano—took to the Belmont Park training track Nov. 17 to turn in their penultimate breezes prior to the race.
All three are 3-year-old colts seeking a first victory against older horses in the Nov. 30 event at Aqueduct Racetrack. In their most recent starts, Forty Tales was second in the Bold Ruler Handicap (gr. III) Oct. 26 at Belmont, Verrazano was fourth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (gr. I) Nov. 1 at Santa Anita Park, and Capo Bastone was 13th in the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) Nov. 2.
Forty Tales, a three-time graded stakes winner, breezed four furlongs in :51.40. Covering four furlongs in company later in the morning were Foxwoods King's Bishop (gr. I) victor Capo Bastone (:47.66) and Wood Memorial and Haskell Invitational (both gr. I) winner Verrazano (:47.67). Those were the two fastest workouts at the distance on the training track.
"(Capo Bastone and Verrazano) have been working together quite a bit," said Pletcher. "We were looking for a similar type of work from both of them. I think it worked well in the past (and) just felt like it was a good match up. I thought both horses breezed really well. Both did it willingly, on the bridle, and gave me the indication they both bounced out of their Breeders' Cup races in good order.
"Forty Tales is a little less ambitious work horse," added Pletcher. "We thought he worked well for what he normally does."
Pletcher is expected to have contenders in all four graded stakes on the Nov. 30 card at Aqueduct. The trainer said he likely will run Intense Holiday (four furlongs on the training track in :49.27) in the Remsen (gr. II) for 2-year-olds, Stopchargingmaria (four furlongs on the training track in :48.53) in the Demoiselle (gr. II) for 2-year-old fillies, and Teen Pauline (four furlongs on the training track in :49.27) and Galloping Giraffe (four furlongs on the training track in :51.41) in the Comely (gr. III) for 3-year-old fillies.