Eagle Scout Gives Pletcher 4,000th Win

Twelve-time defending Gulfstream Park Championship Meet leading trainer Todd Pletcher reached a personal milestone March 18 when Eagle Scout won the fifth race to give the multiple Eclipse Award-winning trainer his 4,000th victory.

In his seventh try since win No. 3,999 March 13, Pletcher hit the 4,000 mark with WinStar Farm homebred Eagle Scout ($9.80), a first-time starter in the mile maiden event on the main track. Luis Saez was aboard for the victory.

Pletcher, 48, became just the 10th trainer to win at least 4,000 races, a list that features five Hall of Famers, including his mentor, D. Wayne Lukas. Pletcher spent parts of seven years with Lukas before going out on his own in 1995.

"We’ve been blessed with a lot of great horses and a lot of great opportunities. There’s a lot of people to be thankful to. It’s fun," Pletcher said. "I think the whole team enjoys these types of milestones. When you get to these larger numbers, I think it makes you appreciative of every single one. Everyone is significant and every win is significant."

According to Equibase statistics, Pletcher has won 767 races at Gulfstream, including his first victory with Majestic Number in 1996, as well as his 3,000th with Spring Hill Farm in 2012.

North America’s all-time leader with more than $311 million in purse earnings, Pletcher also owns 134 stakes victories at Gulfstream, 94 of those graded, including back-to-back editions of the Florida Derby (gr. I) with Constitution   in 2014 and Materiality in 2015. He is one of only three trainers to win Gulfstream’s signature race three times, getting his first with Scat Daddy   in 2007.

Pletcher has won an unprecedented 12 consecutive Championship Meet titles and is well on the way to a 13th, with 54 wins at the current stand, 17 more than Jorge Navarro in second. He would break a tie with Arnold Winick, who led the Gulfstream trainer standings 12 times between 1959 and 1973.

"Gulfstream has been good to us over the years. For whatever reason, the style we train fits the style of this track," Pletcher said. "Horses tend to get involved early and I think that’s an effective style. We’ve been fortunate over the years to have consistent success here."

Pletcher has been voted the Eclipse Award winner as leading trainer a record seven times (2004, 2005, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2013, and 2014). He has trained 10 horses to 11 year-end championships, including Hall of Fame mare Ashado.

Pletcher won the 2010 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) in 2010 with Super Saver  , the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) in 2007 with filly Rags to Riches and in 2013 with Palace Malice  , and owns nine Breeders’ Cup victories.

“I’m proud of the fact that we’ve been able to develop a lot of stakes horses, and I think over 25 percent of those wins are in stakes,” Pletcher said, “and, the fact that we’ve developed some stallions that are doing well is even more important to us. When you see the Uncle Mo  s and Super Saver  s coming up, having a lasting impact on the breed, that’s what’s great.”

Entering Thursday, Pletcher ranked first nationally in 2016 with $4.21 million in purse earnings and second with 71 wins. In addition to victories, he led the Championship Meet standings with $2.87 million in purses.

The late Dale Baird leads all trainers with 9,445 career wins. Pletcher ranks 10th overall and eighth among active trainers behind Steve Asmussen (7,252), Jerry Hollendorfer (7,054), Jack Van Berg (6,468), King Leatherbury (6,465), Scott Lake (5,662), Lukas (4,748), and Bill Mott (4,616).