Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher sent out a trio of Haskell Stakes (G1) contenders to work the morning of July 13 over Saratoga Race Course's main track as Fierceness, Tuscan Sky, and Mindframe each breezed in company toward the nine-furlong test July 20 at Monmouth Park.
Unraced since finishing off the board as the favorite in the May 4 Kentucky Derby (G1), reigning champion 2-year-old Fierceness worked five furlongs in company with multiple graded stakes winner Emmanuel. The City of Light colt edged clear of his stablemate at the wire to cover the distance in 1:00.47.
Spendthrift Farm's last-out Pegasus Stakes winner Tuscan Sky, also breezing in company, clocked :49.85 under jockey Javier Castellano while Belmont Stakes (G1) runner-up Mindframe completed a half-mile in :49.49 working outside graded stakes winner Surprisingly.
Pletcher said he was pleased with the efforts from each of his trainees.
"I was happy with all three. I was kind of looking for different things with at least one of them, and I thought Fierceness was really impressive like he can be when he's in good form," Pletcher said of the dual grade 1 winner. "Not so much the time in which he did it, but how effortlessly he was going around there. He looked fantastic.
"I was looking for more maintenance-type works for (Mindframe and Tuscan Sky)," Pletcher continued. "They've run more recently. Tuscan Sky is historically not a real ambitious workhorse, and I thought he did everything well in hand. Javier was on cruise control throughout. Mindframe looked like he was just galloping. He couldn't have done it any easier."
Pletcher added he worked each of the 3-year-olds this morning with his eye on the Haskell, with a final decision on each horse's status to be made by July 15 after consulting with their owners.
Dornoch Works Sharp Half-Mile Ahead of Haskell
Belmont Stakes winner Dornoch was another top 3-year-old and Haskell prospect to work Saturday morning at the Spa.
With regular rider Luis Saez in the irons, Dornoch breezed a half-mile in company with fellow Danny Gargan pupil and Matt Winn Stakes (G3) victor Society Man. The pair was timed in :47.88 over the Saratoga main track.
New York Racing Association clockers had the duo galloping out five-eighths in 1:00.80.
"Both of them are doing good. I was very pleased with both of their works. They did it easy," trainer Gargan said.
Gargan said Dornoch is training well as he looks to take on a Haskell field expected to include Todd Pletcher's trio of colts along with grade 1 winner and Rebel Stakes (G2) victor Timberlake and Sea Streak.
"He's only run four times this year. He's a lightly raced horse," Gargan said. "The Haskell is perfect timing—it gives us six weeks from the Belmont and five weeks to the Travers."
Gargan said Society Man will target either the $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) at Saratoga July 27, a race Gargan won in 2019 with Tax, or the $500,000 West Virginia Derby (G3) Aug. 4 at Mountaineer Casino Racetrack & Resort.
This press release has been edited for content and style by BloodHorse Staff.
