Horse Racing News is the source of thoroughbred racing information with horse racing odds, betting tips, racing picks, race results, and handicapping. Latest news and articles on top horse racing contenders, jockeys, trainers, three-year-olds, race tracks, and major stakes races such as the Triple Crown races: the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes as well as the Breeders' Cup horse races.Pletcher Breaks Trainer Earnings Record
Posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2005
NEW YORK (AP) — Todd Pletcher broke the single-season record for earnings by a trainer Friday when he sent Spin Factory out to victory in the second race at Aqueduct. Pletcher broke the North American record of $19,147,129 set by Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel in 2003.
Pletcher, who trains top horses such as Ashado, Travers winner Flower Alley and Blue Grass winner Bandini, trailed Frankel’s mark by $29,873 through Thursday.
On Friday, the Pletcher-trained Acadiano won the first race at Calder Race Course in Miami and earned $9,000 for his owner. Then, Spin Factor earned $24,600 for the win at Aqueduct.
"It’s hard to put these things in perspective until later on," Pletcher said. "Sometimes, you appreciate these things more later on when you try to go back and do it again. It’s been a great year; everything’s clicked."
And just a day after setting record and winning the rich Clark Handicap (gr. II) with Magna Graduate, Pletcher hit again with 25-1 shot Purge in the $350,000 Hill ‘n’ Dale Cigar Mile (gr. I) at Aqueduct Saturday.
Pletcher also won the Cigar Mile in 2004 with Lion Tamer and in 2001 with Left Bank.
Purge earned his first graded stakes win since taking the Jim Dandy (gr. II) in 2004, when he also won the Peter Pan (gr. II). He ran sixth in last year’s Cigar Mile behind Lion Tamer, the only other time that Purge competed at Aqueduct. The victory, his sixth in 15 lifetime starts, increased his earnings to $905,434 for owners Starlight Stables, Paul H. Saylor, and Johns Martin. Purge had won just once this year –a Monmouth optional allowance race at 7-10 odds– in five previous starts.
Last year, Pletcher won his first Eclipse Award as the nation’s outstanding trainer. Asked if he was thinking about a repeat, he said: "I’m not too worried about those kind of things but any time you can do something that’s never been done before (setting the record), it’s kind of extra special."
"Pletcher Breaks Trainer Earnings Record" was posted on Tuesday, November 29th, 2005 at 10:50 am and is filed under Aqueduct, Horse Racing Industry, Stakes Races, Trainers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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