Pletcher to enter a rabbit in the Florida Derby?
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from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:
Todd Pletcher said one thing worries him about Saturdays Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park: Quality Road running easily and unchallenged. Actually, Pletcher said the one thing he didnt want to see Saturday was a horse the caliber of Quality Road alone and cruising on the lead. But the only horse the caliber of Quality Road is, well, Quality Road. And from Pletchers point of view, thats the problem.
Thats why the trainer said hes strongly considering entering a maiden named Europe in the Florida Derby. Europe would be, of course, nothing more than a rabbit, a horse with little chance -- or, in this case, absolutely no chance -- of winning, but a horse with a mission -- in this case, a suicidal one. And that mission, of course, is to ensure a lively pace, or, as Pletcher put it, to make sure its at least an honestly run race.
And this magic act, this pulling a rabbit out of his barn, might be a good thing -- not only for Pletcher and the Florida Derby, but also for Quality Road.
Dunkirk, of course, is Pletchers hope for the Florida Derby. A $3.7 million yearling whos unbeaten in two races, Dunkirk looked just about as good as a horse possibly can at this point in his development when he won an allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 19 by nearly five lengths despite a wide trip.
But he has no graded earnings, and Saturdays race may be his only opportunity to collect some. Thats why a good performance is essential: Without it, Dunkirk probably wont get into the Kentucky Derby field.
Dunkirk could very well be as talented as Quality Road, the Fountain of Youth winner, and at longer distances he could even prove to be superior. But Dunkirk doesnt have Quality Roads speed. Nor do Beethoven and Theregoesjojo, wholl be the other contenders in whats expected to be a small Florida Derby field. And so Quality Road could indeed control the pace Saturday and have everything his own way; he could turn the Florida Derby into a Florida Strollinthepark.
In the Fountain of Youth, Quality Road pressed an opening half-mile of 45.55 -- and, keep in mind, the opening splits for the one-mile distance at Gulfstream are typically and deceptively slow -- and then drew clear down the lane to win by more than four lengths. Of course, as his trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, pointed out, the two turns of the Florida Derby represent a very different challenge from the one-turn of the Fountain of Youth, which was essentially a long sprint. Still, if the long-striding colt whos a silky mover gets into a loping, cruise-control sort of rhythm on an unchallenged lead in, say, 47.20 for the opening half-mile, hell be as hard to catch as your shadow.
Who can run with him? Well, maybe Europe, although only briefly. He has started only once, on Feb. 21 at Gulfstream: He didnt break sharply and was about 7 1/2 lengths behind a swift opening half-mile in 45.12 before finishing fourth, beaten about 11 lengths after five furlongs by Presto Change O. If asked, Europe could probably find enough early speed to force or set a lively pace in the Florida Derby, and thats all Pletcher would expect from him.
Is that fair? Is it sporting? Well, its not only sporting, its in keeping with one of sports time-honored traditions. Using one competitor to ensure a lively pace for the advantage of another has been a traditional ploy in racing of all kinds. Without Chris Chataway as a pacesetter, Roger Bannister wouldnt have broken the four-minute barrier for the mile, or at least not when he did, on May 6, 1954. Without such a strategy, Buckpasser and Damascus wouldnt have beaten Dr. Fager. And Jerkens said if he were in Pletchers position, he would consider doing the same thing.
The irony is that Europes participation could also work to the advantage of Quality Road, not in the Florida Derby perhaps but maybe in the Kentucky Derby. If Quality Road is going to be successful May 2, he may have to rate behind a very lively pace, he may have to stalk a speedy pacesetter, or he may have to do, in other words, exactly what Europe could force him to do Saturday.
Quality Road is fast, very fast, but, Jerkens said, the colt isnt headstrong. Quality Road will allow himself to be rated.
Id be surprised if he didnt handle it, Jerkens said about Quality Roads stretching out around two turns for the first time and to Saturdays nine-furlong distance. Hes developing, Jerkens said, into the kind of horse who could be a real good one. And a European presence might even enhance that development.
Todd Pletcher said one thing worries him about Saturdays Florida Derby at Gulfstream Park: Quality Road running easily and unchallenged. Actually, Pletcher said the one thing he didnt want to see Saturday was a horse the caliber of Quality Road alone and cruising on the lead. But the only horse the caliber of Quality Road is, well, Quality Road. And from Pletchers point of view, thats the problem.
Thats why the trainer said hes strongly considering entering a maiden named Europe in the Florida Derby. Europe would be, of course, nothing more than a rabbit, a horse with little chance -- or, in this case, absolutely no chance -- of winning, but a horse with a mission -- in this case, a suicidal one. And that mission, of course, is to ensure a lively pace, or, as Pletcher put it, to make sure its at least an honestly run race.
And this magic act, this pulling a rabbit out of his barn, might be a good thing -- not only for Pletcher and the Florida Derby, but also for Quality Road.
Dunkirk, of course, is Pletchers hope for the Florida Derby. A $3.7 million yearling whos unbeaten in two races, Dunkirk looked just about as good as a horse possibly can at this point in his development when he won an allowance race at Gulfstream on Feb. 19 by nearly five lengths despite a wide trip.
But he has no graded earnings, and Saturdays race may be his only opportunity to collect some. Thats why a good performance is essential: Without it, Dunkirk probably wont get into the Kentucky Derby field.
Dunkirk could very well be as talented as Quality Road, the Fountain of Youth winner, and at longer distances he could even prove to be superior. But Dunkirk doesnt have Quality Roads speed. Nor do Beethoven and Theregoesjojo, wholl be the other contenders in whats expected to be a small Florida Derby field. And so Quality Road could indeed control the pace Saturday and have everything his own way; he could turn the Florida Derby into a Florida Strollinthepark.
In the Fountain of Youth, Quality Road pressed an opening half-mile of 45.55 -- and, keep in mind, the opening splits for the one-mile distance at Gulfstream are typically and deceptively slow -- and then drew clear down the lane to win by more than four lengths. Of course, as his trainer, Jimmy Jerkens, pointed out, the two turns of the Florida Derby represent a very different challenge from the one-turn of the Fountain of Youth, which was essentially a long sprint. Still, if the long-striding colt whos a silky mover gets into a loping, cruise-control sort of rhythm on an unchallenged lead in, say, 47.20 for the opening half-mile, hell be as hard to catch as your shadow.
Who can run with him? Well, maybe Europe, although only briefly. He has started only once, on Feb. 21 at Gulfstream: He didnt break sharply and was about 7 1/2 lengths behind a swift opening half-mile in 45.12 before finishing fourth, beaten about 11 lengths after five furlongs by Presto Change O. If asked, Europe could probably find enough early speed to force or set a lively pace in the Florida Derby, and thats all Pletcher would expect from him.
Is that fair? Is it sporting? Well, its not only sporting, its in keeping with one of sports time-honored traditions. Using one competitor to ensure a lively pace for the advantage of another has been a traditional ploy in racing of all kinds. Without Chris Chataway as a pacesetter, Roger Bannister wouldnt have broken the four-minute barrier for the mile, or at least not when he did, on May 6, 1954. Without such a strategy, Buckpasser and Damascus wouldnt have beaten Dr. Fager. And Jerkens said if he were in Pletchers position, he would consider doing the same thing.
The irony is that Europes participation could also work to the advantage of Quality Road, not in the Florida Derby perhaps but maybe in the Kentucky Derby. If Quality Road is going to be successful May 2, he may have to rate behind a very lively pace, he may have to stalk a speedy pacesetter, or he may have to do, in other words, exactly what Europe could force him to do Saturday.
Quality Road is fast, very fast, but, Jerkens said, the colt isnt headstrong. Quality Road will allow himself to be rated.
Id be surprised if he didnt handle it, Jerkens said about Quality Roads stretching out around two turns for the first time and to Saturdays nine-furlong distance. Hes developing, Jerkens said, into the kind of horse who could be a real good one. And a European presence might even enhance that development.
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