COOLMORE LEXINGTON STAKES

Pletcher continues late rally

Behindatthebar probably headed to Preakness

By Maryjean Wall

MWALL@HERALD-LEADER.COM

Todd Pletcher paused while the rain pelted down at Keeneland, drenching the stylish, dark blue suit he'd worn to win the $325,000 Coolmore Lexington Stakes.

The suit was dark. But not so dark it was a funeral suit, as events turned out.

"They had us buried, but we're not dead yet," Pletcher remarked, in a rare joking mood.

Pletcher has been almost giddy the past two weekends, a heady eight-day stretch capped off with Behindatthebar ($13.60) winning the Lexington on Saturday by a length over Samba Rooster, with Riley Tucker finishing third.

Last weekend, Pletcher put himself directly into the Kentucky Derby picture when he ran 1-2 in the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes with Monba and Cowboy Cal. The outcome was remarkable, considering Pletcher started out this season with no serious Derby prospects.

After the Lexington Stakes, it might have seemed that now he has three. But Pletcher said this would be unlikely. If Behindatthebar does run in one of the Triple Crown races, "it probably will be in the Preakness," the trainer said.

Most of Keeneland's 26,072 fans would have thought Pletcher's other colt in the Lexington, Atoned, would win this Grade II stakes, launching that one into the Derby lineup with graded stakes money he needed to win in the Lexington.

But Atoned apparently fell victim to the Pyro syndrome. Though Atoned had breezed equally well with Behindatthebar at Keeneland, Pletcher surmised that Atoned did not like the Polytrack.

The same situation resulted a week ago when Derby hot horse Pyro ran up the track in the Blue Grass Stakes -- despite working well over Keeneland's Polytrack.

Atoned was back in eighth place when Behindatthebar, David Flores riding, crossed the finish in 1:42.14. Tomcito, who went postward the favorite in the field of 11, finished sixth and was never in contention. Racecar Rhapsody, the second betting choice, finished fourth.

What to make of this?

Some among the other stables were hoping to win this race so they could take the $201,500 winner's purse to get into the Derby lineup. If more than 20 horses enter the Derby, the field will be limited to the 20 with the highest graded stakes earnings.

While Pletcher had the Derby in mind for Atoned, he and the owners of Behindatthebar weren't even thinking of this race as a Derby prep for that colt, a son of Forest Wildcat. Behindatthebar's ownership is Satish Sanan, Michael Shustek and W. Don Stanley.

According to Pletcher, "We were just thinking, here's a horse we know likes a synthetic surface. The Lexington seemed like a race he fit in, so we were really thinking about trying to win the Lexington. We'll play it by ear. But I'd say he's unlikely for the Derby."

As for Atoned, whose ownership is Dogwood Stable, Pletcher said they were hugely disappointed. "He missed the break a bit, which put him into a position he's not accustomed to being in. Edgar (Prado) said he felt like he flattened out on the track towards the end."

Pletcher considered the Pyro syndrome, still fresh in the minds of racing fans -- and Pyro's trainer, Steve Asmussen.

"These two horses worked together the other morning, head and head, and Atoned was cruising next to Behindatthebar," Pletcher said. "You would have thought that day that Atoned loved the surface. Turns out he didn't handle it the same in the afternoon.

"The thing is a lot of them look good in the mornings, but it can be different in the afternoons," he added.

Behindatthebar came from off the pace to grab his win, moving into contention in the upper stretch behind the pacesetter, Samba Rooster, who was stalked by Riley Tucker and Big Glen.

Samba Rooster had led from the start. But the fractions may have been a bit too quick for him to hold out to the finish on the lead. He had clipped off a quarter in :22.78, a half in :45.21, six furlongs in 1:09.48 and a mile in 1:35.47.

Winning jockey Flores said his mount had been on cruise control down the backstretch, then "went into a different stride" around the final turn.

Pletcher said that compilers of the Derby 20 list can add him to the list "if you want," but remained noncommital about the Derby. Behindatthebar's $204,500 graded earnings would place him No. 18 between Cowboy Cal and Visionaire.

"I don't think it's a distance issue with this horse; he handles the distance," Pletcher said. "It's more about whether he's a dirt horse or a synthetic horse and whether two weeks from now is the time to find out."