Like many in the horseracing industry, trainer Todd Pletcher was pretty much born into the sport and is far from an overnight sensation. He started working for his father, Jake, as a hot walker when he was just seven years of age.
Todd Pletcher continued his love affair with horses throughout high school. In the summers he would work as a groom for his Dad at Louisiana Downs and also at the now defunct Ak-sar-Ben racetrack in Nebraska.
Pletcher went on to attend the University of Arizona Race Track Industry Program in Tucson, Arizona and after he got his first real break in the game.
He started working for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas as a groom and later worked for the training legend Charlie Whittingham.
After graduating college with a Bachelor of Animal Science Pletcher eventually became the assistant trainer for Lukas and he handled the East Coast string. Under his care runners like Thunder Gulch, Serena’s Song, Harlan, A Wild Ride and Flanders were developed.
After taking out his training license, Pletcher’s first big horse was Ashado. That miss took the Kentucky Oaks in 2004 and later that year proved it was no fluke by winning the Breeders’ Cup Distaff.
The rest as they say, is history. Pletcher has won an Eclipse Award, horseracing’s version of an Oscar, seven times. He has been the leading American trainer by money earned eleven times and he has obviously won a plethora of races.
Todd Pletcher recorded his 4,000th career victory when Eagle Scout crossed the finish line. He has won over 1,100 stakes and he does it with everyday runners and stars.
The champions he has trained include Ashado, English Channel, Fleet Indian, Lawyer Ron, Left Bank, Rags to Riches, Shanghai Bobby, Speightstown, Uncle Mo, and Wait A While.
His students have won nine Breeders’ Cup races and he has won three Triple Crown races including the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver.
Todd Pletcher has several that are starting on the Triple Crown Trail this year.
His trainee Bonus Points has only one win but he did it in the off going. He showed his talent running second to El Areeb in the Jerome Stakes in January but regressed a bit when fourth in the Withers Stakes on February 4.
Syndergaard is an interesting Todd Pletcher runner. He had his coming out party when second beaten a nose in the Grade 1 Champagne Stakes last year and was dueled into submission the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. He is slowly making his way back.
Win With Pride has limited speed but this Todd Pletcher runner has a decent turn of late foot. He pushed the issue in his last race in the Jerome Stakes but may be better served settling and making the one run. One of the best things that Win With Pride has going for him is his pedigree. His dam Love and Pride was a monster. She won the Grade 1 Personal Ensign and earned nearly $1 million. If researchers go deep in Win With Pride’s pride blood Bernardini shows up. All that runner did is win the Preakness Stakes, the Travers Stakes and over $3 million.
The everyday bettor can look for a few solid Todd Pletcher training ploys daily. One of his most potent moves is when the puts a horse in a maiden claimer after that runner was racing in Maiden Special Weight company.
In the last 5 years he has won with 57 of 160 of these kind of runners for a cool 36% clip. They paid over $5 on the average and 66% of them ran in the money. Pletcher can get them to fire at first asking but he only hit with 17% of his debuting maiden claimers. When he starts them in Maiden Special Weight company, he wins at 25%.
Having a huge operation gives trainers options and they don’t have to rush into anything. That is one reason why Todd Pletcher is stellar with returnees. He has won with 31% of his runners in the last five years than were away for 180 days or more and 57% of them ran in the money.
Finally, know that Pletcher doesn’t dabble in claimers often but when he does, pay strict attention. In the last five years he has won with 5 of his 16 runners first race after being claimed by Pletcher and six ran second. That is 75% in the money with this category. That, my friends, is a money maker.
