Pletcher runners including Fierceness work toward Haskell

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent a trio of top 3-year-olds to the main track at Saratoga to have their final workouts in preparation for next Saturday’s Grade 1, $1 million Haskell Stakes. Fierceness, Mindframe and Tuscan Sky all worked separately on a hot and sunny morning at the Spa.

Pletcher said that everything went well, “I was happy with all three and was kind of looking for different things from them.”

Fierceness won the Florida Derby (G1) and the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile, but also had unexpectedly poor results when 15th in the Kentucky Derby and seventh in the Champagne (G1). The 2-year-old champion has not run since the Run for the Roses.

“I thought Fierceness was really impressive like he can be when he’s in good form,” Pletcher said. “Not so much just the time with which he did it, but just how effortlessly he was going around there. I thought he looked fantastic and I’m really happy with him.”

Mindframe won the first two starts of his career in a maiden and an allowance by a total of 21 lengths. In the Belmont Stakes he had the lead briefly in the stretch and finished second by a half-length. Tuscan Sky also won his first two races before running seventh in the Wood Memorial and then with a victory in the Pegasus at Monmouth Park got an expense paid entry into the Haskell.

“On the other two, I was looking for more maintenance type works with them because you know, they’ve run more recently,” Pletcher explained. “Tuscan Sky historically is not a real ambitious workhorse. I thought he did everything well in hand and was on cruise control throughout. Mindframe looked like he was just galloping and went 49 and change and couldn’t have done it any easier.”

Fierceness is owned by Repole Stable and Mindframe is in a partnership of Repole and St. Elias Stable. Tuscan Sky is owned by Spendthrift Farm. Pletcher will see how the three come out of their workouts before making final decisions about entry in Saturday’s race at the Jersey Shore.

“We worked all three this morning with an eye on the Haskell,” Pletcher added. “We will discuss things here and talk to the connections and make formal plans, probably on Monday.”