SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fierceness and Mindframe both worked out Friday morning over Saratoga’s main track, but it’s not expected the two will be seen together on the main track in the Grade 1 Whitney on Aug. 2.
Both horses are trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Mike Repole, though Mindframe also is co-owned by Vinnie and Teresa Viola’s St. Elias Stable. Pletcher has said several times he isn’t keen on running the two against each other unless he has to or it makes sense. It likely won’t make sense until the Breeders’ Cup Classic at Del Mar on Nov. 1.
After watching Fierceness run away from Dreamlike by five lengths while completing five furlongs in 1:01.98 and then galloping out seven furlongs in 1:27.98, Pletcher indicated that Fierceness will be his only Whitney starter. Mindframe, who went an easy half-mile in 52.48 seconds, is more likely to be held out for the Grade 1, $1 million Jockey Club Gold Cup here on Aug. 31.
“The way Fierceness worked this morning, I’d say he’s sitting on go,” Pletcher said. “I talked to Mike and we’ll talk about it a little bit more, but I think it looks more and more like it’ll be Fierceness.”
Fierceness, who won the Jim Dandy and Travers here at 3, is coming off a second-place finish in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap here on June 7, his second start this year. In his first, he won the Alysheba Stakes at Churchill Downs in track-record time.
In Friday’s work, Fierceness started a half-length off Dreamlike. The pair went three furlongs in a modest 38.23 seconds. At the eighth pole, Pletcher, communicating with exercise rider Danny Wright via two-way radio, asked him “to go ahead and let him finish up a little bit and gallop out good. [Fierceness] obliged willingly.”
Pletcher has been extremely happy with the way Fierceness has trained since the Met Mile.
“His breezes have been awesome, it seems like he’s in good form, he looks well, his weight’s good, all the indicators you’re looking for are excellent,” Pletcher said.
Mindframe is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28, his third consecutive win this year. On Friday, he had his first work since that race, going an easy half-mile, a pretty strong indication that he’s not targeting a race in two weeks.
“We decided to go solo and kind of went solo. We found some company in the middle,” said Pletcher, referring to a Gustavo Rodriguez trainee who joined in with him around the middle of the turn. “It all worked out fine. We were just looking to go an easy half. That’s what’s so cool about him – you can go fast if you want to go fast or go easy if you want him to go easy.”
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