NEWS
Pletcher considering pacesetter for Florida Derby
Posted: Tuesday, March 24, 2009 3:48 PM
DUNKIRK
Coglianese Photos
by Jeff Lowe
Hoping to avoid a situation where Quality Road gets loose with an easy lead, Todd Pletcher might add a pacesetter into the mix for the Florida Derby (G1) on Saturday.
Pletcher trains undefeated Dunkirk, who will vie for favoritism with Quality Road. Pletcher also is considering entering Europe, a full brother to Grade 2 winner and Central Kentucky sire Half Ours who finished fourth in his only start on February 21 at Gulfstream Park, with the goal of ensuring a solid pace.
Dunkirk and Europe are both by Unbridled’s Song and owned by Michael Tabor, Susan Magnier, and Derrick Smith. Europe was a $2.6-million purchase at the 2007 Keeneland September yearling sale, the same auction Dunkirk topped on a final bid of $3.7-million.
“We’re mindful of the possible lack of pace in this race, so we are considering entering Europe as a pacemaker to make sure that it’s at least an honestly run race, with legitimate fractions,” Pletcher said. “I’m going to kind of survey the field, how it’s shaping up, and make a decision [at entry time on Wednesday].”
Quality Road, by Elusive Quality, set the pace in his first two starts and tracked in second before drawing off to a 4¼-length win in the Fountain of Youth Stakes (G2) on February 28.
“I’d rather not see [Europe] in there but I don’t think my horse is the type that will see a horse in front of him and tear after him,” said Jimmy Jerkens, who trains Quality Road. “He’s fast but I believe he is very rateable.
“My horse is very laid back around the barn and in his training, too. In the Fountain of Youth, we didn’t want him to fall off the pace, because if you look at the races that day, everyone up close was winning and you’ve got to ride accordingly. We wanted him laying up close, but I think if we wanted him to come from the middle of the pack, he could have done so.”
Quality Road will make his first start around two turns in the 1 1/8-mile Florida Derby. Jerkens said he considered the one-mile Fountain of Youth as more of a long sprint than a route.
“There’s a little bit of a different breathing pattern a horse has got to take to go two turns,” Jerkens said. “This kind of race, unless the track is super speed crazy, you would feel like the odds were against you unless your horse relaxed and got his breathing pattern down right so he could cover the distance. We’ve given him a lot of long gallops, a mile and three-quarters and further, and he seems to like it and can get that breathing pattern down that’s so important to get the distance.”
Jeff Lowe is a THOROUGHBRED TIMES staff writer
