Todd Pletcher

Hangin' With Haskin posts tagged "Todd Pletcher"

Mott, Casse, Could Join Exclusive Club

Try to imagine how tough it is to win a Triple Crown race. Then try to imagine winning two of the three legs. Then try to imagine winning two of the three legs with two different horses. In the past half century you can count on one hand the number of times that has been accomplished.... Read More

Second Chance at a Dream

It was nine months ago, following a contentious Kentucky Derby trail, that it seemed the name Always Dreaming would be rolling off our tongues for years to come. At least we had the Triple Crown and beyond to look forward to, although the length of his racing career was questionable, as is the case with all 3-year-old superstars. It doesn't take long for breeding farms to attach themselves to a hotshot 3-year-old like a barnacle to a ship, getting into the fray early, usually with the intention of securing an early retirement. But no one thinks of such things during the frenzy that is the Kentucky Derby trail. It's all about now.... Read More

Always Dreaming Just an Old School Kinda Horse

Todd Pletcher and old-school training have never exactly been synonymous. Pletcher is known for being a conservative trainer, preferring long periods of time between races. Pletcher has been known to run impressive maiden winners right back in graded stakes, even in grade 1s, and not using their allowance conditions. Since 2007, Pletcher has not run any of his Kentucky Derby starters back in the Preakness... Read More

Derby Recap: Johnny on the Pony

Looking back, Brooklyn in the 1950s and ‘60s was a concrete and asphalt Wonderland, a constant whirlwind of activity, a time when sports were born of the imagination, not just on the ball fields and basketball courts. The streets were the arena where stickball, punchball, Johnny on the pony, kick the can, ring-a-levio, and stoopball ruled, and where a kid's place in the pecking order depended on how... Read More

Inside the Kentucky Derby Trail

What better way to bring color to winter than to envision roses in bloom on the first Saturday in May, scented green leaves adorning glasses of mint juleps, and the famed Twin Spires piercing a bright cerulean sky. Each year those images beckon all those who dare to dream. ... Read More

California Horses Make Big Impression

Following Sunday's rainy, chilly morning, the sun was out Monday morning and the Derby horses were out in full force, including three arrivals from California -- Dortmund, Firing Line, and Bolo -- all of whom looked terrific, as you will see in the photos below. ... Read More

Haskin's Derby Report: A Whopper for Hopper

There are heavy rains, torrential rains, and the rain that all but drowned Churchill Downs Monday morning. The lightning came fast and furious; one bolt knocked out light, and the flooding came just as fast. Some of the thunder claps were so loud and strong, several horses became noticeably spooked. But not at Todd Pletcher's barn, where "spooked" and "upset" are not acceptable words. The serenity of Pletcher's barn supersedes all.... Read More

Haskin's Derby Report: Pletcher on Parade

It sounds as if this could be the last nice morning we get in a while, and fortunately, most of the Derby works have been completed. As typical of Derby works, the good ones drew waves of excitement, while others were overblown as bad works.... Read More

Stanco Won More Than He Lost

Ed Stanco will not have an Eclipse statue on his mantle, or wherever he is displaying his collection of Princess of Sylmar trophies. But that is the only thing he won't have. What he does have is the respect of everyone in the industry, most notably the fans, Santa Anita, and the Breeders' Cup. ... Read More

Haskin's Classic Report: Is it Their Time?

Bob Baffert, Todd Pletcher, Aidan O'Brien and Kathy Ritvo are on a mission: get rid of that agonizing, heartbreaking second-place finish in the Breeders' Cup Classic that is hanging over their heads and win this darn thing already.... Read More

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