Saratoga: Pletcher brings stakes horses, 2-year-olds

Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher is no stranger to the top of the Saratoga trainer standings. He’s finished there 14 times, including five in a row from 2011 to 2015.

Although he should again be a force when the 40-day meet opens Thursday and extends through Labor Day, do not look for him to make a run at his first training crown since 2020. He is not expecting that.

“We’re kind of top-heavy with 2-year-olds. We’ve got stakes horses and 2-year-olds and not a lot in between,” he said. “I wouldn’t anticipate that we could vie for the training title. I don’t think we have a diversified enough stable.”

Pletcher has one of the most exciting 3-year-olds in the country in Mindframe, definitely the most enigmatic sophomore in Fierceness and an improved 4-year-old in Kingsbarns. And he almost certainly will use Saratoga to unveil another strong 2-year-old class.

Mindframe and Fierceness are being pointed to the Grade 1 Haskell on July 20 at Monmouth Park as a steppingstone to the Aug. 24 Travers (G1). The highly anticipated mid-summer derby could go a long way toward determining year-end honors in a division there for the taking. Kentucky Derby winner and Preakness runner-up Mystik Dan, the presumptive leader, is being freshened.

No one would be surprised if Mindframe should emerge. The Constitution colt has been impressive in all three of his starts. A May 15 foal, he debuted with a bang in dominating by 13 3/4 lengths March 30 at Gulfstream Park. He put on another eye-opening show when he controlled an optional-claiming allowance race by 7 1/2 lengths on the Kentucky Derby undercard.

Despite lack of seasoning, he almost pulled off a remarkable triumph in the Belmont Stakes. His greenness showed during the stretch run, and he missed catching speedy Dornoch by only half a length.

Mindframe, a $600,000 yearling owned by Mike Repole and Vinnie Viola’s St. Elias Stables, has worked five times at Saratoga since the Belmont was contested there. He covered five furlongs last Saturday in 1:00.40, fastest of eight workers at the distance that morning. Fierceness traveled five furlongs in 1:00.25 that same morning.

Pletcher described the condition of both horses as “super” and added, “I’m very happy with both of them.”

Two-year-old champion Fierceness has alternated wins and losses throughout his six-start career. When Pletcher was asked whether Fierceness is one of the most perplexing horses he has overseen, he agreed that the colt has earned that dubious distinction.

“Yes, because he trains fantastically all the time. It’s hard to gauge sometimes,” said the winner of a record eight Eclipse Awards. “You wouldn’t think he would ever have an off day if you watched him breeze. But clearly he has.”

After training Fierceness toward the Belmont, Pletcher decided to back off a bit to give him the opportunity to regroup from a dismal 15th-place Kentucky Derby finish. “I think the extra time has done him well,” he said. “I’m glad we made the decision to skip the Belmont.”

Pletcher said Kingsbarns came out of his solid victory in the June 29 Stephen Foster (G1) at Churchill Downs in good order. He looks to be a major player the rest of the season.

“We’ve always had high hopes for him,” Pletcher said. “He started off winning his first three, including the Louisiana Derby, which isn’t easy to do. So he showed as a 3-year-old ability. But I think he’s improved again at 4.”

What’s next for Kingsbarns? Likely the Sept. 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) at Saratoga.

The barn will send out a pair of exciting 2-year-olds early in the meet. Mentee, a full brother to Fierceness for owner-breeder Mike Repole, is targeting Saturday’s Sanford Stakes (G3) after a head-turning debut at five furlongs. He led gate to wire in setting the track record with a clocking of 56.97 seconds at Aqueduct.

New York-bred Carmen’s Candy Jar will show what she can do in the opening day Schuylerville (G3) after she broke her maiden at first asking against state-breds June 23 at Aqueduct. “She’s always trained very forwardly,” Pletcher said.

At the least, Carmen’s Candy Jar is a sentimental favorite. She is named in honor of the late Carmen Barrera, a beloved figure when she served as director of horsemen’s relations in New York.