Todd Pletcher, who began a training career in 1996 that would land him in the Hall of Fame alongside his mentor D. Wayne Lukas, now stands with Lukas as the co-winningest active trainer in Belmont Stakes (G1) history.
Pletcher, a 54-year-old resident of Garden City, N.Y., notched his fourth Belmont victory Saturday with Donegal Racing and Repole Stable's Mo Donegal . The victory was preceded by Rags to Riches, who gave him his first Belmont and initial Triple Crown win in 2007, followed by the Belmont success from Palace Malice and Tapwrit in 2013 and 2017, respectively.
Only four late trainers have won more runnings in the 154-renewal history of the Belmont—James Rowe (eight), Sam Hildreth (seven), "Sunny Jim" Fitzsimmons (six), and Woody Stephens (five).
Although Pletcher has won two editions of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and a dozen Breeders' Cup races, the Belmont holds importance to him as "our family's favorite race.
"My kids all went to high school, grade school, grew up here—we've always felt like it's our hometown race," Pletcher said during the post-race press conference at Belmont Park. "And when you get to the soccer fields, or you go to schools, and everyone in that community knows you're running in the Belmont, or in this case, we're fortunate enough to win, it adds some specialness to it—that hometown feel—so that part is a really cool aspect of it.
"Also, just the mile-and-a-half challenge is something we've been fortunate enough to do well at. It's the 'Test of the Champion,' so to be fortunate enough to win it four times and with some five, six seconds with some pretty nasty beats, too, is very special. It's been fun."
Then, turning to Jerry Crawford, CEO of Donegal Racing, he thanked him for "the opportunity to train a horse like this and being a son of Uncle Mo , who played a huge part of my career and he's doing phenomenally as a stud just adds more to it."
It was at the Belmont that Pletcher won his first Triple Crown race with Rags to Riches, and he said he had a sense of déjà vu when Repole Stable, Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, and Michael House's Nest stumbled at the start of the Belmont, as Rags to Riches did 15 years earlier.
Still, she recovered to run competitively with an inside, in-traffic trip for much of the race, beaten three lengths by her victorious stablemate.
Once again, Pletcher followed the same program with his 1-2 finishers Saturday that he did with his three prior winners—that being training them locally with five weeks of rest following races at Churchill Downs in either the Kentucky Derby or Kentucky Oaks (G1).
"It's a pretty similar pattern that we've followed each time. So it's not rocket science," Pletcher said.
Perhaps not, but it's a training science that continues to produce.
