Todd Pletcher banking on Shanghai Bobby to bring him the elusive Kentucky Derby
Veteran horseman, Todd Pletcher’s juveniles have always fascinated everyone going into the Classics as their first major racing objective, and the trainer himself has proven very adept at the art of keeping his juveniles injury-free until the Triple Crown
kicks off with Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs.
Just like in the past, this year Todd Pletcher is going to introduce some seriously good juveniles and point them to the prep races very tactfully, as he juggles training and racing schedules to enhance the prospects of his promising runners.
Talking about some ace juveniles this year, one name comes to mind first, and that name is Shanghai Bobby. Pletcher will be banking his hopes on 2-year-old colt by Harlan’s Holiday, who has managed to stay undefeated in five career starts, with 2 grade 1’s
and a grade 2 to his name already.
The road to the Kentucky Derby can be a journey with its own shares of rigors and bumps, but with the trainer like Todd Pletcher, there is a big chance that Shanghai Bobby will survive that time, and make it to the Kentucky Derby gate unscathed.
Sure to be named the champion 2-year-old for 2012, Shanghai Bobby will make his 3-year-old debut at Gulfstream Park in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes over a mile on 26 January.
Out of Orientate mare Steelin’, Shanghai Bobby capped off his undefeated year in perfect style when he landed the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. It was a powerful run in the stretch, as he fought back to gain the lead over He’s Had Enough and
prevail by a mere head to keep his undefeated run going into next year.
“He’s got a lot of courage. We’ve seen that in a couple of his races. The first time we saw it was in the Track Baron at Belmont when he set some pretty fast fractions. He was getting a little bit tired and a horse came to him, and he found more and went
off and won handily,” Pletcher said. “It was the same thing at the Breeders’ Cup. I thought he was getting a little tired at the top of the stretch, but as soon as those horses came to him, he fought them off. So he’s got a lot of heart.”
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