Pletcher Juveniles Work Toward Breeders' Cup

Trainer Todd Pletcher's juveniles taking aim on the Nov. 4 Future Stars Friday races during the Breeders' Cup World Championships at Keeneland worked over the Lexington oval the morning of Oct. 20.

Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable's Forte  and Harrell Ventures' Lost Ark , the respective winner and sixth-place finisher in the Oct. 8 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity (G1) at Keeneland, breezed a half-mile together in :49.20 immediately after the track's second renovation break at 9 a.m. Both colts are candidates for the $2 million TVG Breeders' Cup Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (G1).

"That was a pretty standard breeze from them," Pletcher said. "They're both solid work horses and are always willing. We were just hoping to see more of what they normally do."

Pletcher was happy with the colts' performances in the Breeders' Futurity.

"We felt like (Forte) handled the added distance (of 1 1/16 miles) and the two turns; he certainly looked like he relished it," Pletcher said. "Lost Ark had a rough trip into the first turn and that kind of took him completely out of position. He finished up with some interest so that was encouraging."

In addition, Frizette Stakes (G1) winner Chocolate Gelato  and FTBOA Florida Sire My Dear Girl Stakes captress Atomically  worked in tandem for Pletcher following the first renovation at 7:30 a.m. The two fillies, both prospects for the $2 million NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), clocked the half-mile in :49.

"I thought it was perfect," Pletcher said. "Went off nicely, finished up well, good strong gallop out. Both got over the track (as if) they like it. It was a well-executed breeze."

Repole Stable races Chocolate Gelato, and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners owns Atomically.

Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) contenders Malathaat  and Nest  as well as Longines Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) or Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1) hopeful Life Is Good   are expected to breeze Friday morning for Pletcher.

Three other Breeders' Cup contenders also took to the track Thursday morning for their first works since their graded stakes victories on Keeneland's opening weekend.

Brad King, Suzanne Kirby, and Barbara Coleman's Slammed , an impressive winner of the Oct. 8 Thoroughbred Club of America Stakes (G2), drilled three furlongs in :36.80 under jockey Florent Geroux.

"That was a good way to start the day. She was very happy out there," said Geroux, who was aboard Slammed when she won the Thoroughbred Club of America. The race garnered the filly an automatic berth into the Nov. 5 $1 million Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1).

Slammed is trained by Todd Fincher, who is expected to be on hand next week for the final works for Slammed and Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile candidate Senor Buscador .

Two Breeders' Cup "Win and You're In" victors owned by Susan Moulton and trained by Wayne Catalano—Manny Wah  and Andthewinneris —returned to the work tab following their respective victories in the Oct. 7 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix Stakes (G2) and the Oct. 9 Castle & Key Bourbon Stakes (G2T).

Manny Wah, the last-to-first upset winner of the Phoenix, worked a half-mile in :47.40 for the second-fastest move of 26 to work Thursday morning at that distance. The 6-year-old son of Will Take Charge   is targeting the Nov. 5 Qatar Racing Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). He was fifth in the Sprint over this track in 2020 behind Whitmore .

Shortly after Manny Wah, Bourbon Stakes hero Andthewinneris breezed a half-mile in :48.60 in preparation for the Nov. 4 $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G1T).