Trainer Todd Pletcher revealed Disposablepleasure
emerged from her dramatic victory in yesterday’s Grade 2 Demoiselle with
a “slight grabbed quarter” but was otherwise doing well Sunday
morning.
In the Demoiselle, Disposablepleasure stumbled badly at the start, checked
on the far turn, split horses in upper stretch, and battled Wildcat’s
Smile to the finish to prevail by a nose.
“I believe [she grabbed a quarter] at the start of the race, but
it shouldn’t be anything that will hold her up,” said Pletcher, who
trains the 2-year-old filly for Glencrest Farm. “Aside from that, she is
in good shape.”
Pletcher lauded Disposablepleasure for her determination.
“I think the stumble alone would have been a significant enough
of an excuse for her not to win, or getting stopped at roughly the
three-eighths pole as abruptly as she did,” said Pletcher. “Putting
the two together, it was an impressive performance for her, or any young horse
going 1 1/8 miles the first time.”
Disposablepleasure has made a steady ascent so far in her career,
finishing fourth on turf in August at Saratoga Race Course, second in September
at Monmouth Park,
and first by 11 lengths in October at Belmont Park
in three starts prior to the Demoiselle.
“She was a filly we felt like early on wanted to run a route of
ground,” said Pletcher. “She has some turf in her pedigree, so with
the two-turn options at Saratoga
we started off there, but she sort of gradually got a little bit better with
every start. Her maiden win was clearly an improvement over her first two
starts. So at that point we were looking at the calendar and circled the
Demoiselle. Just training up to it was the best plan. There was a little more
space than we would have ideally liked, but we felt like it was a safer play
than having her final prep too close to the Demoiselle.”
In the other 2-year-old race on the card, the Grade 2 Remsen, El Padrino and Our Entourage respectively finished third and fifth for
Pletcher. Two lengths separated the winner, O’Prado Again, from Our
Entourage.
El Padrino, owned by Let’s Go Stable, entered the Remsen off two
previous starts, including a 12 ¾-length victory in the slop on October 29 at Belmont Park.
“We were pleased with [El Padrino’s] effort,” said
Pletcher. “We felt like he was a little bit green being inside horses for
most of the race, but he seemed to find his best stride late when he was able
to get out in the clear. We were pleased with his finish, and he galloped out
very strongly. For a young and inexperienced horse, it was a promising effort.”
Our Entourage has raced on dirt, turf, and synthetic surfaces, but
Pletcher believes the Repole Stable color-bearer will switch back to the grass
for his subsequent starts.
“I think Our Entourage ran well,” said Pletcher. “He
only got beaten two lengths. I think yesterday’s race makes us believe
that he is probably at his best on the turf, and we’ll probably focus, at
least at the beginning of the year, on turf racing. We’ll see how he
develops. He was a pretty late foal.”
Pletcher said that Disposablepleasure, El Padrino, and Our Entourage
will likely depart for Palm Meadows in Florida
on Tuesday. Mike Repole’s Calibrachoa
and Caixa Eletronica, respectively third and fifth in
yesterday’s Grade 1 Cigar Mile Handicap, will remain in New York for the winter.
“I think Calibrachoa will probably not run in the Gravesend [December 17] and will have a little bit of a
break,” said Pletcher. “We’ll point for [Aqueduct’s
series of sprint] stakes races, and we know he likes Aqueduct. Caixa Eletronica
will stay here and we’ll try to find his niche, maybe around two
turns.”
Love and Pride, R Gypsy Gold, and Savvy Supreme, third, sixth, and eighth in
yesterday’s Grade 1 Gazelle, all exited the race in good order, Pletcher
added.