Pletcher Thrilled with Elusive Jockey Club Gold Cup Score
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ftboa.com • Wednesday • October 14, 2020 FEC/FTBOA PUBLICATION Pletcher Thrilled with In This Issue: Hall of Fame Trainer Gary Jones Passes Elusive Jockey Club Sweetontheladies Standing at Pleasant Acres Stallions for 2021 Gold Cup Score Maker Ships Field Pass to Santa Anita BY NYRA PRESS OFFICE_________ Premier Star Sets Sights on Jersey Shore ELMONT, NY—After numerous close defeats in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold TCA Appoints New Directors Cup including a disqualification from victory in last year's edition, trainer Todd Fair Grounds Releases Stakes Schedule Pletcher secured the elusive win Saturday when Wertheimer and Frere's Harvey’s Lil Goil Returns to Churchill unbeaten sophomore Happy Saver rode the rail to victory in the prestigious clas- Track Results & Entries sic-distance race at Belmont Park. Pletcher, who had finished second in Florida Stallion Progeny List the Jockey Club Gold Cup previously with Keen Ice [2017], Palace Malice [2013], Stay Thirsty [2012], Quality Florida Breeders’ List Road [2010], Lawyer Ron [2007] and Newfoundland [2004], saddled Vino Wire to Wire Business Place Rosso in last year's running, who crossed the wire first but was ultimately disqualified to second for interference Featured Advertisers with Code of Honor in the stretch run. Baoma Corp. Pletcher said the long-awaited victory with the son of Super Saver was wel- Bloodstockauction USA come. Covert Appraisal Services "That was a race that had been allud- EnviroEquine LLC ing us for a while," Pletcher said. "I Florida Department of Agriculture thought we broke through last year only Fred Burton Paving to be disqualified. Not only had we not FTBOA won it, but we had seven seconds, a Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply number of which were very close. It was a very rewarding win for the whole team Peterson & Smith and it was nice to do it for the Seminole Feed Wertheimers, who have been loyal sup- Showcase Properties Happy Saver/COGLIANESE PHOTO Summerfield Sales See PLETCHER on page 3 Back to Top Page 3 Pletcher Continued from COVER porters of ours for a long time. He's by Super Saver and out of a mare we trained, so it was a great win all the way around. "He looks good," Pletcher added. "He seemed to bounce out of everything well. He's a little bit tired, which I would expect after running a race like that. It seems like he's in good shape." Following a debut victory on June 20 at Belmont Park, Happy Saver bested older winners going two turns at Saratoga en route to a triumph in the $100,000 Federico Tesio Stakes on Sept. 7 at Laurel Park, ahead of the Jockey Club Gold Cup, where he earned a career best 100 Beyer Speed Figure. Pletcher praised his newly minted Grade 1-win- ner on being able to make such a swift climb up the ladder. "What he's been able to accomplish you don't see very many other horses do," Pletcher said. "He went from a seven-furlong maiden on June 20 to a mile-and-an- eighth allowance at Saratoga, to a mile-and-an-eighth stake at Laurel and came back to Belmont and then to win a Grade 1 going a mile-and-a- quarter against older horses is something you don't see very often." In winning the Jockey Club Gold Cup, a Breeders' Cup "Win And You're In" Todd Pletcher/LESLIE MARTIN PHOTO event, Happy Saver earned an all-fees paid entry into the $6 mil- lion Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) to be run on Nov. 7 at Keeneland, which Pletcher said is under strong consideration. "That's what we're going to think about," Pletcher said. "We'll see how he bounces out of this and let him take us there when he wants to. Speaking to the Wertheimers last night, they're in no rush and they plan on racing him next year." Should Happy Saver make the trip for the Breeders' Cup, he would seek to give Pletcher a second straight win in the Classic after winning last year's edition at Santa Anita with Vino Rosso. Wertheimer and Frere have never won the Classic, but owned Breeders' Cup heroes Halfbridled, who took the 2003 Juvenile Fillies for Hall of Famer Richard Mandella, and international superstar Goldikova who captured three consecutive runnings of the Mile from 2008-10. Happy Saver's sire Super Saver gave Pletcher his first triumph in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby in 2010 after a slew of placings. "I don't see a lot of similarities," Pletcher said. "The one thing I would say is that from a physical standpoint, they're both very good-looking and well-balanced horses. Super Saver could get a little intense in the paddock and this one is more laid back." Other possible Breeders' Cup contenders for Pletcher include Grade 1-winners Valiance [Distaff] and Halladay [Mile] as well as impressive maiden-winner Likeable [Juvenile] and Grade 2 Bourbon winner Mutasaabeq [Juvenile Turf]. Pletcher also spoke of recent first out maiden winner Malathaat, who gave Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez his See PLETCHER on page 5 Back to Top Back to Top Page 5 Pletcher page 3 Continued from 2,000th win at Belmont Park, and said that the $100,000 Tempted on Nov. 6 going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct could be in play for the regally-bred daugh- ter of Curlin out of the Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Dreaming of Julia. "I thought she ran really well the other day," Pletcher said. "She's obviously bred to be a very nice filly." Mystic Guide Likely to Bypass Breeders' Cup Classic Trainer Michael Stidham said he was highly satis- fied with Godolphin's Mystic Guide and his hard- fought second in his Grade 1 debut in the $250,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup but stated the son of Ghostzapper is unlikely for the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Classic. "Most likely we will bypass it, but that won't be officially decided until we take a good look at the horse and see how he's doing," Stidham said. "I'll talk to [Godolphin USA president] Jimmy Bell and we'll have Mystic Guide/JANET GARAGUSO PHOTO a discussion regarding it." A last out winner of the Grade 2 Jim Dandy on Sept. "We've got a lot to be excited about," Stidham said. "We were 5 at Saratoga, Mystic Guide has never finished off the board in six careful with when we ran him and where he ran him throughout the lifetime starts and finished three-quarters of a length to the out- year, and it paid off. We're going to try and parlay that into next year." side of Happy Saver. Following an impressive five-length maiden victory at second "We were delighted," Stidham said. "It was obviously a small asking going two turns at Fair Grounds on March 21, Mystic field, very tactical, and a rider's race. But our horse ran hard and Guide was placed against winners at Belmont Park and ran third just got beat. I'm happy with his first step up to a Grade 1." in the Grade 3 Peter Pan on July 14 at Saratoga before winning the Stidham said he is looking forward to what could be on the Jim Dandy. A Kentucky homebred, Mystic Guide is out of the horizon for Mystic Guide as a 4-year-old. five-time Grade 1-winning A.P. Indy mare Music Note. Hall Fame Trainer Gary Jones Passes BY SANTA ANITA PRESS OFFICE______________________ ed a split stable between Santa Anita and Hollywood Park for sev- eral years and he had a bushel basket full of speeding tickets to ARCADIA, CA—News regarding the passing of retired Hall of prove it. Fame trainer Gary Jones hit hard at Santa Anita Monday morning, “I gotta seem ’em go myself,” he once said, when asked why he as word circulated that Jones had passed away following a lengthy felt compelled to watch a set or two of his horses train in illness at age 76 at his home in Del Mar. Inglewood prior to blasting up the Harbor Freeway back to The son of one of California’s all time training greats, Gary Arcadia in time to oversee the training of his Santa Anita-based Jones was born June 16, 1944 in Long Beach and he was unques- charges. “I’ve got good people, but I just can’t take somebody’s tionably destined for a life at the racetrack, which he certainly else’s word for it. I want to see them myself.” made the most of. A two-time winner of the Santa Anita Handicap (G1)—in 1992 After an extended apprenticeship under his father, the leg- with eventual Hall of Famer Best Pal and in 1994, via disqualifi- endary Farrell “Wild Horse” Jones, Gary Jones took over the cation, with Stuka, Jones ranks eighth on Santa Anita’s all time Jones Stable in 1974 and from there, took it to new heights, as the Winter/Spring win list with 576 victories and he is currently ninth barn produced an incredible 104 stakes winners over the next 22 in Santa Anita stakes-won with 72. years, including 1986 Eclipse Award winning older horse, Jones, who was a fierce advocate for California racing, trained Turkoman. an incredible array of talented horses prior to his retirement in In addition to stakes horses, Jones was also ultra-competitive 1996 that included Kostroma, Quiet American, Time to Explode, with claiming stock, anywhere and anyhow, evidenced by his 15 Lakeway and Wishing Well, who would go on to become the dam Southern California training titles, four of which were here at of 1989 Horse of the Year Sunday Silence.