Breeders' Cup World Championships Trainer Profile: Todd Pletcher

Heading into the Breeders’ Cup World Championships at Santa Anita Park on November 3 and 4, trainer Todd Pletcher has started more horses than any other trainer in the event’s history: 161 horses, dating all the way back to Rare Rock’s outing in the 1998 Breeders’ Cup Sprint. He has 14 stakes wins in Breeders’ Cup races, fifth behind D. Wayne Lukas (20), Bob Baffert (18), Chad Brown (16), and Aidan O’Brien (16). Given his success in the Kentucky Derby and other North American Grade 1 races on dirt, it makes sense that most of his victories have come on the main track. Still, that accounts for only 10 of his 14: with four wins on the grass, Pletcher has proven that he can train a world-class turf horse as well.

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Breeders’ Cup Classic

Todd Pletcher has started 16 horses in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, and achieved his first and only win to date with Vino Rosso, winner of the 2019 edition at Santa Anita. Interestingly, Pletcher has had a bit more success in the shorter companion race, the Dirt Mile; he won the Dirt Mile with both Liam’s Map (2015) and Life Is Good (2021). However, about three weeks out, Pletcher has a pair pointing for the richest North American Grade 1 on dirt, and no one on a clear course for the Dirt Mile.

Bright Future

Bright Future is aptly named, as he seems to have exactly that ahead of him. The four-year-old son of Curlin graduated on debut and finished third in an allowance at age three, but was laid off from June of 2022 until April of this year. He picked up right where he left off, winning an allowance at Gulfstream and finishing third in another allowance on the Kentucky Derby undercard. Though he was well beaten in his graded-stakes debut in the Brooklyn (G2), he roared back with a pair of wins at the Spa. They included a 4 ¾-length romp in allowance company, and then a nose score over the far more seasoned Proxy in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, his Grade 1 debut. Clapton, fourth in that race, has already returned to win the Homecoming Classic (G2) at Churchill Downs, suggesting that Bright Future’s most recent win indeed has quality.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile

The Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile will be the richest race of Future Stars Friday on November 3, and it is a race where this barn has seen some success. From 25 starters in the race’s history, Pletcher won the 2010 edition with Uncle Mo and returned to the winners’ circle last year with Forte.

Fierceness

He looked like a future star on debut at Saratoga on August 25, bouncing to the lead and winning by 11 ¼ dominant lengths in a six-furlong maiden special weight. That was convincing enough to make him the odds-on favorite in the Champagne on October 7 at Aqueduct. However, he started poorly, never got to the lead, and finished seventh of eight behind Timberlake. Perhaps better ground and a better start can get him back into better form in the Breeders’ Cup, and he might even be a price off the bad start given the tough Baffert contingent for the Breeders’ Cup.

Noted

Pletcher can train a good horse on turf or dirt, and Noted is in the conversation for championship races on both surfaces. He has only tried the dirt once, but that attempt was a late-rallying one-length victory in the Sapling on August 26 at Monmouth, going a mile on the main. Interestingly enough, he ran well from closer to the pace in his next start, a skill that should be helpful at Santa Anita. However, that next start came in the Bourbon (G2), a grass race at Keeneland, leaving questions as to whether he can stick close enough to real California dirt speed if the track is speed-friendly.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies

Pletcher has run 16 horses in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies. Even though he has yet to reach the winner’s circle for this race, he has had six runners hit the board: Ashado (2003), Octave (2006), R Heat Lightning (2010), and Rachel’s Valentina (2015), all finished second while Cotton Blossom (2006) and Dreaming of Julia (2012) finished third.

Candied

This Candy Ride daughter comes into the Breeders’ Cup undefeated in two starts. She was lukewarm on the board in her six-furlong debut at Saratoga, but rallied to score by ¾ length. Sent off the third betting choice in the Alcibiades (G1) on October 6 at Keeneland, she tracked in range and clearly outfinished favored V V’s Dream, winning by a length over that foe. She handled two turns well, and comes out of a race that has been a quality Breeders’ Cup prep in recent years.

Life Talk

She missed by a head on debut in a 6 ½-furlong sprint at Saratoga, and returned to win by 6 ½ lengths when stretched out to a mile at Saratoga on August 31. She finished only third as the second betting choice in the Frizette (G1) at Aqueduct; that may have been a deeper field, but also note that the Frizette was a one-turn mile, and her best outing came over a two-turn structure like she will see at Santa Anita Park.

Scalable

A two-start maiden, she flattened to fifth in a seven-furlong maiden special weight at Saratoga on debut, but Pletcher still flew her to Santa Anita to try the Chandelier (G2). She could not catch gate-to-wire winner Chatalas, but she did well to catch pace-pressing Dua for second, making her an interesting exotics long-shot contender if closers are getting a fair shake on November 3.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf

In 13 attempts, Pletcher has won the Juvenile Turf once: in 2010 with Pluck, who overcame serious early trouble to rally for the victory.

Agate Road

This Quality Road son is out of juvenile Grade 1 winner Yellow Agate, and he missed by a nose in his dirt debut. But, he is perfect in two starts on the lawn, including a strong victory in the Pilgrim (G2). Especially if there is a lot of early pace in the Juvenile Turf, expect Agate Road to be rolling home well late.

Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf

Pletcher has started twelve horses in the Juvenile Fillies Turf, winning once, when More Than Real upset favored Winter Memories by two lengths in 2010.

Life’s an Audible

Interestingly enough, Pletcher’s only winner in this race finished second in her final prep: Life’s an Audible also comes in off of a second-place finish. She ran poorly on debut over dirt, but graduated in a maiden special weight turf sprint on September 2 at Saratoga, then finished strongly as a 12-1 outsider to finish second in the Miss Grillo (G2), beaten only half a length by Chad Brown trainee Hard to Justify.

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