Trainer Todd Pletcher breezed a quintet of Breeders' Cup contenders over the past two mornings at Belmont Park, though Happy Saver , the winner of the Jockey Club Gold Cup Stakes (G1), was not among them.
The trainer said Oct. 23 that the unbeaten 3-year-old Super Saver colt, owned by Wertheimer and Frere, will not enter the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Keeneland Nov. 7.
"We're going to pass on the Breeders' Cup with him and make a decision in the next week on whether we'll give him some time off or focus on a Plan B towards the Pegasus (at Gulfstream Park). I think the Classic is coming up a little too soon," Pletcher said. "He's a horse we plan to race next year, and I felt like for the long term, skipping this race and focusing on 2021 is the right move for him. He has a lot of talent, and we want to make sure we keep him fresh for next year."
Even without Happy Saver, Pletcher has a promising group leading up to the Nov. 6-7 Breeders' Cup, one of whom, Harrell Ventures' Halladay , the winner of the Fourstardave Handicap (G1T), breezed five-eighths in 1:00 3/5 on the fast dirt training track Friday. He outworked maiden winner Jerry the Nipper, a 3-year-old New York-bred.
Grade I winner Halladay (Inside) worked 5 Furlongs in 1:00.60 at Belmont Park on October 23rd, 2020, for trainer Todd Pletcher. Halladay will make his next start in the Breeders' Cup Mile on November 7th. @PletcherRacing #BC20 pic.twitter.com/j4WVQGbBhg
— XBTV (@WatchXBTV) October 23, 2020
It was the second breeze for Halladay, a FanDuel Mile Presented by PDJF (G1T) contender, since scratching out of the Shadwell Turf Mile Stakes (G1T) Oct. 3 at Keeneland with a hind leg infection.
"We normally don't work him in company, but seeing as we're a little rushed for time between races, I wanted to get a good, solid work into him today in company," Pletcher said. "He's a very willing work horse on his own, but the fact that we missed the prep race, we wanted to get a good, solid company work into him and we got what we were hoping for.
"He responded quickly to antibiotics, and everything has gone according to plan so far."
Also breezing Friday was Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Martin Schwartz, and China Horse Club's Valiance, the winner of the Juddmonte Spinster Stakes (G1) who clocked a half-mile in :48.04 on the dirt training track while working outside of 3-year-old allowance-winning filly Thankful.
"I thought it was an excellent work," Pletcher said. "She seems to be in really good form at the moment. I was really happy with the work and gallop out."
Pletcher's Breeders' Cup hopefuls Mutasaabeq (Juvenile Turf, G1T), Likeable (TVG Juvenile Presented by Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance, G1), and Union Gables (Juvenile Fillies Turf, G1T or Juvenile Turf Sprint, G2T) worked Oct. 22 at Belmont.
Repole Stable, St. Elias Stable, and Stonestreet Stables' Likeable will step up into stakes after a runaway maiden win. He worked Thursday under Hall of Famer John Velazquez after being ridden by other jockeys in two previous starts.
Pletcher said Likeable is training forwardly enough that he opted for the Juvenile rather than the Nashua Stakes (G3) Nov. 8 at Aqueduct Racetrack.
"The choices are, do you take a conservative route like the Nashua, or do you take a shot at the long ball when the horse is doing really well?" Pletcher said. "We figured there's a lot of upside if we're fortunate and not a lot of downside if we're not."
