Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher on Oct. 17 sent out a quartet of workers targeting the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1)—Fierceness, Mindframe, Antiquarian and Locked—on the Oklahoma dirt training track at Saratoga Race Course.
Mindframe breezed to the inside of Locked shortly after the first renovation break and the pair covered five furlongs in 1:01.49 on a fast track, according to NYRA clockers. Mindframe edged clear of recent Woodward Stakes (G2) winner Locked just before the wire, galloping out in front and strongly through the turn.
"I thought Mindframe went super," Pletcher said. "He had a really strong gallop out. Locked, since he's run more recently, we weren't looking for quite as much on the gallop out from him, but I thought they both went well."
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables' Mindframe was 3-for-3 this year with a pair of grade 1 wins entering his most recent race, the grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup Aug. 31 at Saratoga. In that race the 4-year-old Constitution colt was on the receiving end of a chain reaction of bumping caused by Phileas Fogg and lost jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. shortly into the 1 1/4-mile race.
"I don't know how to quantify exactly what he got out of the Jockey Club from a fitness perspective and an actual true race," Pletcher said. "We felt like we needed a little more from him (in training). We've gotten some good works and good gallop outs, so I think we have accomplished what we were hoping to from a fitness perspective."
Pletcher confirmed Locked, owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Walmac Farm, is currently targeting the Breeders' Cup Classic rather than the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1).
Fierceness breezed to the inside of Antiquarian following the second renovation break and the pair were on even terms as they covered five furlongs in 1:00.56, according to NYRA clockers. Both horses earned 1 1/4-mile grade 1 victories last out, the Pacific Classic on Aug. 30 at Del Mar for Fierceness and the aforementioned Jockey Club Gold Cup for Antiquarian.
"Just another 'typical' of what we've seen from (Fierceness). Every breeze, he just does things very effortlessly," said Pletcher. "He looked good coming to the wire, stayed on, galloped out nicely. We wanted to match him up with a little stronger mate today, to get a good solid work.
"I thought (Antiquarian) responded well. He stayed on course and galloped out nicely, a good work from both of them," Pletcher added.
Centennial Farms' Antiquarian, a 4-year-old Preservationist chestnut, broke through at the top-level and earned a career-best 108 Beyer Speed Figure in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, inching close to millionaire status with $944,100 banked through a 9-4-3-0 record.
"We felt like with all four horses, today was the sternest work we were going to look for. They are going to ship next week. We won't look to do quite as much next week," Pletcher said, confirming the four Breeders' Cup Classic contenders will work again at the Spa next week before shipping.
Derrick Smith, Repole Stable, Michael Tabor, and Susan Magnier's Fierceness finished second in last year's Breeders' Cup Classic to Sierra Leone .
"It is always comforting to know that he appears to like the surface out there, two good races there gives you optimism," Pletcher said.
Dorth Vader breezes for Breeders' Cup Distaff
John Ropes' grade 1-winning Florida homebred Dorth Vader breezed a half-mile in :48.53 seconds Friday on the Oklahoma dirt training track in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) Nov. 1 at Del Mar.
"She went fine," trainer George Weaver said. "Finished up in 23-and-change, galloped out well. Came back good. Scoped good."
The 5-year-old Girvin dark bay most recently contested the grade 1 Personal Ensign Stakes Aug. 23 at the Spa, where she landed a nose behind reigning Horse of the Year and 2024 Breeders' Cup Distaff-winner Thorpedo Anna, who was retired from racing earlier this week.
Dorth Vader earned a "Win and You're In" berth to the Distaff from her 4 3/4-length victory in the Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) on June 6 at the Spa. She followed that performance with a fourth in the Molly Pitcher Stakes (G3) in July at Monmouth Park and her aforementioned Personal Ensign second, which registered a career-best 100 Beyer Speed Figure.
"As a trainer going for a big race, you don't wish ill on anybody else, but obviously you are like 'Oh, well there is one good one (Thorpedo Anna) we don't have to knock heads with.' But look, I fully anticipate this is going to be like any other Breeders' Cup race: tough to win," Weaver said. "She certainly deserves a chance and we are just excited to have one good enough to go out there and have a legitimate chance to win it."
Weaver said Dorth Vader will ship Oct. 22.
"I'm purposefully sending Dorth Vader early because I want her to settle in more," Weaver said. "At a new place, I think it is just better for her mentally to have a little bit of extra time to settle in."
On the Oklahoma turf, Governor Sam, under consideration for the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T), breezed a half-mile in :48 3/5 seconds, according to NYRA clockers. Cy Fair covered the same distance in :48 2/5, as did Royal Testament in 51 1/5. Both are juvenile fillies targeting the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint (G1T).
"All of my horses did what I wanted them to do, I had a great day of training," Weaver said. "It doesn't usually go like that. As far as training days go, this was a good one. Now this could all change when I come in tomorrow (laughs). Fingers crossed, the rest is all good."
Dry Powder drills for Distaff
Gold Square's dual grade 1-placed Dry Powder turned in her final local work on Thursday in preparation for the Breeders' Cup Distaff, covering five-eighths in 1:00 3/5 on the Belmont Park dirt training track in company with stakes-placed 5-year-old Knox (1:00).
Trained by Chad Summers, Dry Powder was last seen finishing a neck in second to Clicquot in the Cotillion Stakes (G1) Sept. 20 at Parx Racing, her second grade 1 placing this year after landing third in the Coaching Club American Oaks in July at Saratoga.
"She's good; she did what she had to do," Summers said of the work. "She's come out of the Cotillion well and it looks like this will be kind of a deep field, but with the way she runs and competes, hopefully we get a good post and can work out a good trip."
The sophomore daughter of Gun Runner will ship to Del Mar Saturday and have one more breeze there ahead of the Distaff, most likely next Friday. Summers expects the filly will be among the first contenders to arrive for the World Championships.
"We should get there about 10:30 tomorrow night," he said. "We just want to get her a work over the track. She's a little bit of a unique personality, so I just thought it would be best to get her over there and acclimated. By race day, she's always a professional, but there's always a bit of a process with her."
Summers' other stable star, Gold Square's Napoleon Solo, earned a berth into the Oct. 31 Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) for his win in the Champagne Stakes (G1) Oct. 4 at Aqueduct, but will bypass that Breeders' Cup race and receive a 60-day freshening.
The son of Liam's Map is a perfect 2-for-2 with a debut graduation in August at Saratoga and his romping 6 1/2-length Champagne score. He was a $40,000 purchase at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-winning Scat Daddy mare Atomic Blonde.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
