For Pletcher, Renegade’s Travers was lost before the start

The winner of the Arkansas Derby (G1) and Jim Dandy (G2) finished eighth behind Leading Change, but emerged from the race in perfect shape; his trainer attributed the flat performance to trouble in the starting gate and has yet to determine his next target

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).— Renegade’s eighth-place finish in the Travers Stakes(G1) was far from expected, but Todd Pletcher does not seem overly concerned. For the trainer, virtually everything that could go wrong began happening even before the gates opened.

Second choice at 3-1 and coming off a victory in the Jim Dandy Stakes (G2), the colt owned by Repole Stablealongside Robert Low and Lawana Low was seeking to give Pletcher his fourth Jim Dandy-Travers double. However, he proved very restless inside the stalls and, when the break came, lunged forward before getting squeezed between Ocelli (Connect) and The Puma (Essential Quality).

The result was immediate: Renegade found himself last in the 10-horse field and, through the opening half-mile, trailed 17 1/2 lengths behind pacesetting Napoleon Solo (Liam's Map). From there, he was never able to truly get into the race, finishing eighth, 10 3/4 lengths behind winner Leading Change (Gun Runner).

“While I was watching him in the gate, I was hoping maybe they would back him out and give him a chance to calm down,” Pletcher explained. “He wasn't completely settled when they broke, and then he got bumped by the horses on both sides of him.”

The original strategy called for Renegade to race rated, but not so far back.

“We wanted him to settle behind the speed, but how far back he ended up was extreme. After that, he never seemed to have the chance to get outside, find clear running, get out of the kickback, and produce the rally he likes to make. I think everything went wrong before the start,” the trainer added.

The good news arrived Sunday morning when Renegade emerged in perfect shape following the effort. For now, no decisions have been made regarding his immediate future.

“I generally try not to decide anything immediately after a race. He seems to have come out of it very well. We’ll give him a few days, talk with the whole team, and then map out a new plan,” Pletcher noted.

The defeat halted an excellent campaign for the son of Into Mischief, who had captured the Arkansas Derby (G1) in March and was coming off his Jim Dandy triumph on August 1 at Saratoga.

The Travers card did not prove particularly favorable for the rest of Pletcher’s formidable barn either.

Local Knowledge (Yaupon), recent winner of the Amsterdam Stakes (G2), finished third in the H. Allen Jerkens Memorial (G1), albeit 11 1/2 lengths behind the dominant Englishman (Maxfield).

“I thought he ran well. The winner was extraordinary. When you have a horse of that caliber who can lay down 23-second quarters, it's almost impossible to make up ground when he can keep running that fast,” Pletcher analyzed, while dropping an intriguing hint regarding Local Knowledge’s future: “I think he might appreciate a bit more distance.”

East Jabip (Mehmas) also left a positive impression, finishing fourth in the Lake Placid (G2) despite a very troubled start. The filly ducked out violently leaving the gate and struck the side of the stall, causing Tyler Gaffalione to temporarily lose his right stirrup. Despite the incident, she launched a wide move, took the lead entering the stretch, and only faded inside the final furlong.

In the Forego Stakes (G1), Tip Top Thomas (Volatile) finished fifth after setting demanding fractions from post one. For Pletcher, the inside draw forced Flavien Prat to use him more than intended, and he also suggested the colt might perform better stretching out slightly.

Pletcher’s lone victory of the day came via Grazie (Modernist), who returned from a ten-month layoff to score by a commanding 8 1/4 lengths in a 1,300-meter allowance event.

Still, all eyes remain fixed on Renegade. Pletcher is not making excuses to change the Travers outcome, though he found plenty of reason to keep it in perspective.

The colt who won the Arkansas Derby and the Jim Dandy was unable to display his true talent on Saturday. For his trainer, by the time the gates finally opened for the Travers, his race was virtually already lost.