Pletcher reveals plans for Derby hopefuls

Trainer Todd Pletcher, who won three graded stakes races Saturday at

Gulfstream with older horses Constitution (Tapit), Mshawish (Medaglia d'Oro) and

Sandiva (Footstepsinthesand), also has a wealth of talented three-year-olds in

South Florida. 

Seven of the 32 sophomores Pletcher has nominated to the Triple Crown breezed

Sunday morning at Palm Beach Downs, including Grade 1 winners Competitive Edge

(Super Saver) and Daredevil (More Than Ready), Fountain of Youth (G2) hopeful

Itsaknockout (Lemon Drop Kid) and talented debut winner Khozan (Distorted

Humor). Pletcher was pleased with the works and is in the process of finalizing

plans for the group en route to the Triple Crown.

Pletcher had high praise for Daredevil as well as Breeders' Futurity (G1)

winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Carpe Diem (Giant's Causeway),

who breezed Saturday. Both posted bullets; Daredevil went five furlongs in :59

3/5, the best of 10 works on Sunday, while Carpe Diem clocked his five furlongs

in :59 2/5 Saturday, the best of seven workers that morning.

"They're both training exceptionally well," Pletcher said. "Carpe Diem's

breeze yesterday was very impressive. He came out of it well, and we're planning

to go in the Tampa Bay Derby ([G2] on March 7) with him. I thought Daredevil

worked extremely well this morning also. We're planning to go in the Swale [G2]

at Gulfstream on February 28) with him."

A schedule is still being worked out for Competitive Edge, who won the

Hopeful (G1) as a two-year-old. He breezed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5, a time

identical to Itsaknockout. A schedule is also being worked out for Blofeld

(Quality Road), undefeated winner of the Nashua (G2) and Futurity S. (G2) last

year.

"(Competitive Edge) is doing well," Pletcher said. "We haven't decided on a

first start (of 2015) yet. (Blofeld) is just going to start back galloping. We

just need to get some foundation done first. He's still a little ways away from

a breeze."

Pletcher also noted that Far From Over (Blame), who captured the Withers (G3)

Saturday at Aqueduct, exited his win in good order.

"He came back well," Pletcher said. "Thankfully he didn't grab anything when

he stumbled leaving the gate. I thought it was a pretty impressive effort to do

that in his second start. I would say the most likely scenario is that he'll

stay in New York and run in the Gotham ([G3] on March 7)."

Mapping out starts for so many Kentucky Derby hopefuls can be challenging,

but it's a situation Pletcher is familiar with. He says timing is the key when

creating schedules.