Pletcher hopefuls arrive at Churchill

Four Breeders' Cup hopefuls trained by Todd Pletcher, led by probable Classic

starters Uncle Mo and Stay Thirsty, arrived at Churchill Downs on Monday at 9:52

a.m (EDT).

"Everyone arrived in excellent order," said assistant trainer Michael

McCarthy, who oversees the Churchill Downs barn for Pletcher, who is expected to

be at the Louisville track Tuesday for training hours. "They all look great."

Uncle Mo, the 2010 champion two-year-old colt, returned to the Churchill

Downs backstretch for the first time since missing this year's Grade 1 Kentucky

Derby with a rare liver ailment. The bay son of Indian Charlie will enter the

Classic off a dominating performance in the Grade 2 Kelso Handicap at Belmont

Park on October 1.

Stay Thirsty, who captured the Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes and Grade 1 Travers

Stakes at Saratoga this summer, finished third behind Flat Out and Drosselmeyer

in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup in his first try versus older horses. In two

races beneath the Twin Spires, Stay Thirsty was fifth behind his stablemate

Uncle Mo in the 2010 Breeders' Cup Juvenile and 12th in the Kentucky Derby.

Also arriving at Pletcher's Barn 34 Monday morning were Stopshoppingmaria,

who will pre-enter the Juvenile Fillies or the Juvenile Sprint following a

runner-up performance in the Grade 1 Frizette Stakes, and Finale, winner of the

Grade 3 Summer Stakes at Woodbine who will pre-enter the Juvenile Turf.

All four of the probable Breeders' Cup starters breezed Sunday at Belmont

Park prior to boarding the plane to Louisville Monday morning. Training plans

for this week at Churchill Downs have not been finalized.

In other Breeders' Cup news:

The first day of training on the Matt Winn Turf Course brought out several

Breeders' Cup hopefuls including two top contenders for the Mile, Courageous Cat

and Court Vision.

Courageous Cat, working in company with Clear Attempt for trainer Bill Mott,

covered five furlongs on a course rated as good in 1:02 3/5, around the "dogs."

Starting three lengths in back of his workmate and finishing on even terms,

Courageous Cat had fractions of :25 2/5, :38 3/5, :50 2/5 and out six furlongs

in 1:17 2/5. Court Vision, trained by Dale Romans, worked five furlongs on his

own in 1:02 4/5 with fractions of :25 2/5, :37 4/5, :50 2/5 and out six furlongs

in 1:18.

Country Day worked five furlongs for an expected start in the Turf Sprint in

1:01 1/5 with jockey James Graham up. Trained by Steve Margolis, Country Day

posted fractions of :12, :24, :37 1/5 and out six furlongs in 1:17 2/5.

Animal Spirits, winner of the Grade 3 Bourbon Stakes at Keeneland in his most

recent start, worked a half-mile in company on even terms with Intercompany Loan

in :52 3/5 on the turf. Fractions for the work were :28 1/5, :40 3/5 and out

five furlongs in 1:07 1/5. Trained by Al Stall Jr., Animal Spirits is a

candidate for the Juvenile Turf.

Trainer Jim Baker said Monday morning that Grade 1 Alcibiades Stakes

runner-up Heart of Destiny would bypass the Breeders' Cup in favor of Sunday's

Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes.

"Our main goal is to have a good horse and a good broodmare," Baker said of

the homebred filly who is owned by Hurstland Farm and James Greene Jr. "We are

going to be conservative with her and the Breeders' Cup would be too much too

quick."