NYRA Photo

Mentee shows how it’s done in G3 Futurity

by Mary Eddy

Repole Stable’s Kentucky homebred Mentee put his talents on full display with a smart 3 1/2-length win in Friday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Futurity, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for juveniles, at Belmont at the Big A.

In victory, Mentee earned a berth into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on November 1 at Del Mar as part of the “Win and You’re In” Challenge Series.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Mentee became the second graded stakes-winner for his dam Nonna Bella, following in the footsteps of his older full-brother Fierceness, winner of this year’s Grade 1 DraftKings Travers and last year’s Champion 2-Year-Old. Mentee made his turf debut in the Futurity, but looked like a seasoned veteran as he stalked and pounced to victory under Hall of Famer John Velazquez.

Pletcher said a September 20 half-mile work 49.68 seconds over Saratoga Race Course’s Oklahoma turf training track was key in the decision to try the son of City of Light on the grass.

“Some of the City of Lights handle the grass and we thought he had good action that would maybe take to it,” Pletcher explained. “We breezed him on it and it looked like he really enjoyed it. We felt the timing and the distance of this race suited him well and it put us in a position to do about anything from here. I think a lot of options open up.”

Mentee emerged sharpest of all from post 6-of-7, but it was the Junior Alvarado-piloted Epitaph who was most eager for command, sprinting clear to mark an opening quarter-mile in 22.38 seconds over the firm footing with Mentee a half-length back in second.

Approaching the turn, Joey Muscles raced four-wide move while Under Who’s Rader advanced between him and the rail-skimming Pletcher trainee Gate to Wire. Epitaph was game to the inside of Mentee and Under Who’s Radar spun his wheels in the center of the course after a half-mile in 45.36, but a well-measured Mentee was unleashed at the eighth pole and drew well clear of the gutsy pacesetter, crossing the wire first in a final time of 1:08.82.

Gate to Wire, who angled outside of Epitaph in the stretch, came on late to collar that foe by a nose for place with Under Who’s Radar rounding out the superfecta. In the Chase, I’m Otter Here and Joey Muscles completed the order of finish. Chasing Liberty, who is entered in the Indian Summer on Sunday at Keeneland, was scratched.

Pletcher said he was pleased with the stalking trip Velazquez engineered.

“He drew a favorable post to do that and it looked like he was very relaxed,” Pletcher said. “Johnny looked like he had a lot of horse the whole way and when he asked him, he responded well."

Velazquez, who has ridden Mentee in each of his three starts, said Mentee’s performance today was redemptive after a distant sixth last out in the Grade 1 Hopeful sprinting seven furlongs on the dirt on September 2 at the Spa.

“That’s more of what we were expecting out of him,” Velazquez said. “He broke pretty good – a little sharp and jumping a little bit the first two jumps and then I settled him and he settled nicely. When the horses got to him on the backstretch, he got a bit strong. I sat against him going to the quarter-pole and made sure I kept him busy down the lane – pretty easy, though.”

While Mentee earned a berth into the five-furlong Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, Pletcher said he and owner Mike Repole are more inclined to stretch him out to one mile for the Grade 1 Juvenile Turf instead.

“I’ll talk to Mike a little bit, but we actually talked about it before, and we thought if he ran well it would be a good bridge to the mile instead of the five furlongs – we’ll see," Pletcher said.

Pletcher also indicated the Juvenile Turf could be in play for runner-up Gate to Wire.

“It looked like he just got untracked a little late, but he closed well once he did,” Pletcher said. “It looked like he was bottled up and maybe still a little immature. Once he finally got clear, he really closed on well.”

Mentee banked $96,250 in victory while returning $10.20 on a $2 win ticket. He adds to an impressive debut victory in June over the main track here that saw him set a new course record for five furlongs [56.97 seconds] in a half-length score over Colloquial.

Gary Contessa, trainer of third-place finisher Epitaph, said his colt will likely appreciate a cutback to five furlongs and potentially firmer footing in the Juvenile Turf Sprint.

“If they’re willing to let him in, I’m going,” Contessa said of the Breeders’ Cup. “That Del Mar course favors speed a lot more than this one.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at the Big A for a lucrative 12-race card that features two Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [Juvenile; Race 8] and Grade 1, $400,000 Frizette [Juvenile Fillies, Race 7]. The card is supported by additional graded events in the Grade 3, $500,000 Jockey Club Derby Invitational in Race 5 and the Grade 3, $200,000 Belmont Turf Sprint in Race 6. First post is 12:10 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont at the Big A, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.