Todd Pletcher already looking ahead to Del Mar with three possible Classic contenders

Antiquarian, Mindframe and Fierceness being aimed toward the Nov. 1 Classic

Fierceness already knows what it means to win at Del Mar / BENOIT PHOTO

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special for Turf Diario).- Trainer Todd Pletcher has begun shaping his strategy for one of the year’s defining challenges, the GI Breeders’ Cup Classic, set for Nov. 2 at Del Mar. With Antiquarian (Preservationist) punching his ticket in Saturday’s GI Jockey Club Gold Cup, Centennial Farms’ chestnut joined stablemates Mindframe (Constitution) and Fierceness (City of Light) as part of what could be a formidable trio.

“We feel very good about where we’re at, though there are still 60 days to go and the key is staying healthy,” Pletcher said. “If everything holds together, we’ll head west with three very strong chances.”

Antiquarian’s Saratoga victory was not only his first at the top level, but also cemented Pletcher’s Classic blueprint. With John Velazquez aboard, he showed maturity avoiding the early incident that unseated Mindframe and finished strongly to secure his spot.

“It was a strange feeling—you hate to see something like that happen, but at the same time you want Antiquarian to get full credit for what he accomplished,” Pletcher noted. “It was a huge win for Centennial Farms and we’re thrilled for them.”

Despite the mishap that left him riderless in the Jockey Club Gold Cup, Mindframe already had his Del Mar ticket in hand after a decisive tally in June’s GI Stephen Foster, where he turned back Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). Both the colt and Irad Ortiz Jr. walked away unharmed, and Pletcher has his eyes firmly fixed ahead. “We’re thankful everything turned out okay,” he said. “Now we can regroup and point straight to the Classic.”

Last weekend, Fierceness added even more depth to Pletcher’s arsenal with an emphatic score in the GI Pacific Classicat Del Mar—the same track where he’ll return in November. After a troubled beginning, the 2023 juvenile champion rallied powerfully to win by more than three lengths over multiple Grade I winner Journalism (Curlin).

“To overcome the start and still run the way he did… we’re very proud of him,” Pletcher said.

With Antiquarian, Mindframe and Fierceness all on course, Pletcher is assembling his strongest Classic hand since Vino Rosso (Curlin) carried his barn’s colors to victory in 2019.

“There’s still a long way to go, but we’ve got plenty of reasons to be excited,” Pletcher concluded.