By Christie DeBernardis
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y.–Trainers J.J. and Todd Pletcher team up quite regularly as the elder Pletcher breaks many of his son's trainees at his Payton Training Center in Florida. In Friday's New York-bred Seeking the Ante S., the father-son duo team up in a different way, as the co-owners and breeders of One Last Cast (Algorithms).
The juvenile filly is the first foal out of Firstotheline (First Samurai), who the Pletchers bought for $75,000 as a Keeneland September yearling.
“The reason we own [One Last Cast] is that we bought her mother as a yearling,” said J.J. Pletcher, while standing at the rail of the main track watching one of his son's sets train. “[Firsttotheline] is a half-sister to a good horse Todd trained called Lion Tamer (Will's Way), who won the [2004 GI] Cigar Mile, so we thought she might have the potential to be a good broodmare. She had a bad knee on her, so we just retired her and bred her to Algorithms because we had a free breeding in him. I broke him and sent him to Todd to train, and when he retired, we got a breeding to him.”
Graduating by 3 1/4 lengths on debut at Aqueduct Apr. 19, One Last Cast failed to fire when sixth in the Astoria S. at Belmont June 8 and improved to be third next out in the state-bred Lynbrook S. July 16 behind stablemate Pure Silver, who romped by 9 1/2 lengths in the GII Adirondack S. Aug. 12.
“She got a little black-type last time,” J.J. Pletcher said. “That is mainly what we are looking for. We'd be happy to run third.”
Firstotheline is the only broodmare J.J. and Todd Pletcher own together. She produced foals by Mission Impazible the last two seasons and is back in foal to Munnings.
While the father and son team have only one broodmare, they do have one other racehorse, a 4-year-old gelding named Thebigfundamental (Uncle Mo).
Second in his career bow at Gulfstream in March, the bay donned cap and gown by 8 1/2 lengths next out at Belmont a month later and captured an allowance there June 10. Third going nine panels at Saratoga July 23, he returned to winning ways over that track and trip Aug. 17.
“Thebigfundamental, he is our claim to fame right now,” said J.J. Pletcher.
When asked how these two partnerships came about, the elder Pletcher said, “We just kind of take it as it comes.”
The Pletchers also have the benefit of J.J.'s training center, which they utilize when one of their horses has an issue.
“If something goes wrong with them, we can take them and turn them out,” J.J. Pletcher explained. “I've got about 80 acres at my training center and 20 at my house, so I turn them out and give them professional neglect.”
That “professional neglect” seems to have worked so far and with the experience and knowledge of both Pletchers, this is a father-son partnership that is bound for success.
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