Pletcher's Strong Derby Hand Reflects Career Excellence

There's no doubt who is standing at the epicenter of the Kentucky Derby (G1).

At the moment, the 149th edition of the $3 million Run for the Roses belongs to Todd Pletcher in a manner few trainers have enjoyed.

He trains the 3-1 favorite, reigning 2-year-old champion and Florida Derby (G1) winner Forte , for Repole Stable and St. Elias Stable, along with 5-1 second choice, Whisper Hill Farm and Gainesway Stable's Tapit Trice , winner of the Blue Grass Stakes (G1).

And it doesn't stop there.

The 55-year-old first-ballot Hall of Famer also has Spendthrift Farm's undefeated Louisiana Derby (G2) winner Kingsbarns , who is the co-sixth choice at 12-1 in the morning line for the May 6 classic at Churchill Downs.

"You might have to go back to the Calumet days (of the 1940s and 1950s) to find one trainer having this many top horses for one Derby," said bloodstock agent Steve Young, who has known Pletcher for more than 20 years and bought a number of the trainer's top runners. "Todd has a lot of live chances."

Ed Bowen, a Kentucky Derby historian, sees it as the deepest and most talented array of horses from one trainer since 1995 when D. Wayne Lukas came to the opening leg of the Triple Crown with 2-year-old champion Timber Country, Florida Derby (G1) and Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) winner Thunder Gulch, and the outstanding filly Serena's Song .

"I think Lukas' threesome that year is a good standard. I don't deny some after-the-fact impressions are inevitable," Bowen said.

Mention of Lukas' 1995 runners resonates on a different front because of one of the Hall of Famer's top assistants that year was none other than…Todd Pletcher.

It was Pletcher's final year with Lukas before he opened his own stable and began a career in which he reached the top level some four years later and has remained there to this day, passing the test of time with flying colors and bringing his best collection of Derby starters to race in his 23rd trip.

"To have this kind of depth with three talented colts is great," Pletcher said. "It's welcomed pressure. I just want to prepare the horses the best I can. My anxiety is for the owners. I know how excited they are to have prospects like this and to come to the Derby with legitimate chances."

By 2000, after four years on his own, Pletcher was already in the top five among trainers in earnings and he led in that category for the first time in 2004. Over the course of the 14 years from 2004-2017, he led North American trainers 10 times and was second the other four years.

Since then he has dipped below fourth in the standings only once and now he stands as the sport's all-time earnings leader with more than $458 million, about $47 million more than all-time wins leader Steve Asmussen.

"There's no secret to what it takes to keep going strong. You have to stay at it. You can't rest on any of your accomplishments, especially in this industry," Pletcher said. "There's no end game or final buzzer. Right after the Derby you're at the barn Sunday morning preparing for the next race. You have to maintain your focus and having a dedicated staff is a huge help. The clients we have give us a chance to show up in a race like the Derby. We don't take those responsibilities lightly and want to do the very best with our opportunities."

Reflective of his remarkable consistency, last year he enjoyed one of his best season with three champions (Forte, older filly and mare Malathaat , and 3-year-old filly Nest ) and was second in earnings, about $600,000 shy of Chad Brown's total. In the process, he earned his record eighth Eclipse Award and first since 2014.

Since 2001, only once (in 2008) has his winning percentage dipped below 21% and his résumé includes slightly more than 5,500 wins, 14 champions and more than 50 stallions.

"Todd's consistency of greatness over a long period of time is second to none in this game," said Mike Repole, who runs Repole Stable and has worked with Pletcher for about 15 years. "If horse racing was covered like a real sport people would not believe what he has done."

Add in his stranglehold on Saturday's Kentucky Derby and it reflects how Pletcher's career has been as impressive and solid as a mighty oak.

"A lot of people can get to the top but they can't stay there," said the 87-year-old Lukas, one of the sport's most legendary trainers. "But Todd has done it because of his makeup as a trainer. He's steady. No fanfare. He just goes out there and does his job better than most people."

Success rarely comes easily and is almost always earned and for Pletcher his winning formula mixes his skills as a horseman with a mild, level-headed temperament.

"Todd is a really good guy who has a great reputation and integrity. He thinks before he talks," Young said. "He makes a conscious effort to do the right thing all the time and that keeps you from running off the tracks. People get burned out in all walks of life, but he can compartmentalize negativity as much as anyone in the game. He can be having a horrific day and most people won't know."

Even at a time when the pressure is at its greatest, such as this week in Louisville, Pletcher's demeanor and smooth nature come across as if he's dealing with a grade 2 race rather than America's most famous and important horse race.

"I try to keep an even keel. That doesn't mean on the inside I'm not hating some of the losses and excited about the wins. In order to maintain longevity and consistency as a trainer you have to maintain consistency about yourself," Pletcher said. "We've had some years better than others with more grade 1 winners but looking over the past 25 years we have maintained a good winning percentage throughout the years and that says a lot about our program."

Pletcher's horsemanship, honed through his father, J.J., who was a trainer, and working for Lukas when he was the sport's gold standard, surely has played a key role in his rise to the upper echelon of the sport.

"The secret to horse training is being able to read the horse in front of you and Todd has that ability. He's an excellent horseman with a great feel for what he can do with each horse," said Lukas, who owned the all-time earnings record until his former assistant pushed past him in 2014. "I had no doubt he was going to be a very, very good trainer once he went on his own."

Many trainers may possess great skills with their horses, but few can match Pletcher's level of professionalism in maintaining his stable and his work ethic, which have played a key role in him staying at the top of his profession for decades rather than years.

"There's no such thing as an overnight success. Todd's been doing it for 26 years now, 365 days a year, 18 hours a day. Ultra-successful people put in the time, put in the work. You have to be super-smart, but at the end of the day you have to be super-committed, which is even more important. Doing it year after year without a bad year makes Todd like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tom Brady. They keep getting better," Repole said.

"People are jealous and say he's getting all the great horses, but he's starting his day at 3:30 a.m. when he's the first one at the barn and he's the last one to go home. People want to be successful but not everyone will put in the time and work or has the work ethic of Todd."

Pletcher's attention to even the smallest of details has also been recognized by his owners. Watch Pletcher during one of his races and you'll see the same level of attention in an allowance race as a graded stakes. After leaving the paddock, as soon as he reaches his seat or viewing position, his ubiquitous binoculars will be fixed on his horse until it returns to be unsaddled.

"Every horse, the binoculars are on them constantly. His eyes are trained on them all the way through the warm up to the gallop out and when they come back. It's the same thing when they are working. It doesn't matter who's working. It's not just the best horses in the barn. Those binoculars are trained on all of them. All of that falls under great habits, work ethic and attention to details," said Ned Toffey, general manager of Spendthrift Farm. "I see tremendous attention to detail in Todd. You can ask him anytime about a horse, and he knows the answer. He's smart and remembers everything that goes on around him. He leaves nothing to chance."

Mandy Pope, who owns Whisper Hill Farm, said that aside from all of Pletcher's success on the racetrack, she's also impressed with the way he conducts business in an efficient and organized manner while overseeing the racing careers of hundreds of horses on the East Coast.

"He is the most organized person in general and trainer in particular. He has a system that he has perfected so that he can keep up with everyone," Pope said. "His tack room, feed room, stalls are always in perfect shape. Nothing is out of shape when you go to see your horses. The horses always look great so you know he's taking good care of them."

Amidst all the praise, Pletcher is quick to dole some out to his staff, people like assistant trainers Byron Hughes, Anthony Sciametta, Tristan Barry, and Ginny DePasquale, groom Martin Estrada, exercise riders Amelia Green and Hector Ramos, and his clerical staff who have played vital roles over the course of the last 27 years.

As Pope puts it, "He has the best people behind him."

"It takes an army and there's no question we have a loyal staff and a high percentage of them have been with us for over 20 years. That provides the stability of everyone knowing the game plan and how to execute it," Pletcher said. "Sometimes with a race like the Derby that is harder than it sounds because you are under such a microscope."

Much of that staff is now at Churchill Downs where Pletcher sits in an enviable position while chasing his third Kentucky Derby win and first since Always Dreaming   in 2017.

"It doesn't get old," Pletcher said about the quest for another Kentucky Derby win. "The exciting thing is that you can learn from your experiences but at the same time you are arriving with a new horse and hopefully you can draw off the experience. Experience teaches you what to avoid and focus on and works for your horses so you do not get too creative. What I've tried to do as I get older is stay focused on what I do and what has made me successful. I'm not paying too much attention to other trainers and how they are training their horses."

All of that success in operating his stable has brought Pletcher to the Run for the Roses for a 20th straight time this year and has situated him as the leader in Derby starters with 62. That figure is counter-balanced by just two wins. The Dallas native has experienced wins, narrow losses, lopsided defeats, and abject disappointment, such as what happened to Pletcher and Repole in 2011 when they had the heavy favorite in Uncle Mo   but he missed the race due to a liver ailment. 

Yet as low as the winning percentage may be, Pletcher has fueled dozens of dreams that may last a lifetime.

"People talk about the two wins but It's every owner's dream to get to the Kentucky Derby and Todd has delivered that 62 times," Repole said. "It's hard to win the Derby, but you can't discount the emotions of just being in the race with a legitimate chance." 

Adding to any surprise over his numbers, only once has Pletcher sent out the favorite. In a grand omen for Saturday, that one time was 2017 when Always Dreaming prevailed.

"Only one of 62 has been the favorite, so while our win percentage is not great, we delivered the one time we were favored," Pletcher said.

While Pletcher has just one chance to win with a favorite, he will have three solid chances to add a third victory. For all the euphoria of having the top two favorites and a trio of 3-year-olds with solid chances, there's also a delicate balancing act in which he must keep three separate ownership groups happy.

On that front, regardless of what happens Saturday, Pletcher has been highly successful.

"Todd balances different owners very well," Toffey said. "We look at it that you will be running against Todd regardless of who trains your horse because he's an ethical guy, and he's going to put his horses where they have the best chance to win. We don't ask about his other horses or put him in a bad situation. We let him take care of our horses, and we are thrilled to be a part of all this."

That strong bond between Pletcher and his owners can also be seen in comments by Toffey, Pope, and Repole that if their horse does not win the Derby, then they will have a secondary rooting interest.

"If Forte finishes second it would be a tough, tough loss," Repole said. "The only consolation would be if Todd wins with one of his other horses."

And so, as the 149th Kentucky Derby draws ever closer, there may be mystery over who will win, but not about who is casting a shadow over the race with a lineup as strong as it comes in the Triple Crown.

Much as it has for the last 20 years, that spot atop the sport belongs to Todd Pletcher.