Todd Pletcher (born June 26, 1967 in Dallas, Texas ) is an American thoroughbred horse trainer . He won the Eclipse Award eight times as Trainer of the Year, four of these in consecutive years. His horses Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017) won the Kentucky Derby . He also won the Belmont Stakes with Rags to Riches (2007), Palace Malice (2013), Tapwrit (2017) and Mo Donegal (2022). He also trained Malathaat who won the 2021 Kentucky Oaks .
35-547: Pletcher began working for his father, Jake, as a hot walker at the age of seven. During his summers off from junior and senior high school, he went to California, where he worked as a hot walker for Henry Moreno at Hollywood Park and Del Mar Racetracks . He graduated from James Madison High School in San Antonio, Texas in 1985 and began college at the University of Arizona in their Race Track Industry Program in
70-755: A $ 100,000 bonus for the winner of all three races. The Weight-For-Age Triple Crown The Sprint Triple Crown The Fillies And Mares Triple Crown In Germany, the Triple Crown ( Dreifache Krone ) consists of Only one horse has won the German Triple Crown: In East Germany , the Dreifache Krone consisted of: Three horses won the East German Triple Crown: The French Triple Crown consists of: Previously
105-870: A Bachelor of Animal Science in May 1989 and traveled to New York immediately following graduation to work for Lukas as a foreman in the active stable. In 1991, he was promoted to assistant trainer for Lukas, splitting his time between New York and Florida. Pletcher was Lukas's East Coast Assistant until fall of 1995 where he helped develop horses such as Thunder Gulch , Harlan, Serena's Song , A Wild Ride, and Flanders. He took out his trainer's license in December 1995 and saddled his first winner, Majestic Number, in February 1996 at Gulfstream Park in Florida . In 2004, he got his big break and trained three-year-old filly Ashado to
140-467: A motor to move the arms at various speeds, most often set to have horses walk. At the end of each arm is a short rope with a snap at the end, which attaches to the halter of the horse. Newer designs originating in Europe have moving panels and no radial arms. The motor is often on a timer that will stop after a set amount of time. Basic safety on a mechanical hot walker includes having the horses under
175-522: A racetrack to be eligible for a license they must be employed by a trainer. Those hot walkers looking to become racetrack grooms sometimes can take courses offered at the track. Those who do so may obtain certification. Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing#United States Triple Crowns The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing , often shortened to Triple Crown , is a series of horse races for Thoroughbreds , often restricted to three-year-olds. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races
210-553: A singular horse. The Turf Trinity consists of: The Turf Tiara consists of: The Irish Triple Crown, modelled on the English equivalent, consists of: For a list of the annual individual race winners, see Irish Triple Crown race winners . Only two horses have won all three races since the Irish Two Thousand Guineas was first run in 1921: The Canadian Triple Crown consists of: The Canadian Triple Crown
245-692: A win in the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs in Louisville . Later that year, Ashado won the Breeders' Cup Distaff . The filly went on to capture the Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Three-Year-Old of the year in 2004 and Best Older Female in 2005. Her stablemate, Speightstown, gave Pletcher a second Breeders' Cup win in 2004 in the Sprint division as well as a second Eclipse award when he
280-400: A year, on October 14, when the two-year-old colt Scat Daddy won the $ 400,000 Champagne Stakes at Belmont Park, making it the 93rd stakes victory of the year for Pletcher. The record was set by his former boss and mentor, D. Wayne Lukas , in 1987. Pletcher's 93 stakes wins included 52 graded events and a career-best 17 Grade 1 wins. Pletcher's season included a win with Bluegrass Cat in
315-506: Is a person such as a groom or stable worker who hand walks hot, sweaty horses after a workout, particularly after work on a racetrack . The term hot walker may also refer to a mechanical device designed for the same purpose. Hot walking allows the horse to cool down after hard exercise, which helps the horse's pulse and respiration return to normal, reduces stiffness, and minimizes the risk of health issues such as influenza , colic or equine exertional rhabdomyolysis . For humans,
350-511: Is considered the greatest accomplishment in Thoroughbred racing. The term originated in mid-19th-century England and nations where Thoroughbred racing is popular each have their own Triple Crown series. In England , where the term Triple Crown originated with West Australian 's three wins in 1853, it is made up of: Since the 2,000 Guineas was first run in 1809, fifteen horses (including three winners of substitute races at Newmarket during
385-426: Is not required, and most learn from on the job training. Basic knowledge of equine behavior and some horsemanship skills can be useful. Racetracks, some farms, and training centers usually hire hot walkers. Hot walking horses is an entry-level job, but as time goes on hot walkers can move into positions such as a groom, exercise rider or obtain a management role. Minimum wage is usually paid to most hot walkers, but at
SECTION 10
#1732801943598420-791: The Beldame Stakes at Belmont Park . That win proved to be the first in a day of multiple winners for Pletcher as Honey Ryder won the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes , English Channel won the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes , and India won the Fitz Dixon Cotillion Breeders' Cup Handicap at Philadelphia Park . His purse earnings total $ 27,670,243. Later that year, he broke the 19-year-old North American record for most stakes wins in
455-636: The New York Turf Writers Association . He is also a recipient of multiple Eclipse Awards . In 2021, Todd Pletcher was voted into the United States Racing Hall of Fame . Pletcher and his wife, Tracy, live in Garden City , Long Island, New York. They have three children, Payton, Kyle, and Hannah. † - Filly ‡ - Dead Heat Hot walker A hot walker within the practice of horse management
490-506: The $ 1,000,000 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park following the colt's second-place finishes in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes . In the 2007 Belmont Stakes , Pletcher earned his first win in a Triple Crown race when Rags to Riches became the first filly to win that race since 1905. After missing the winner's circle with 24 previous entries, Pletcher won his first Kentucky Derby on May 1, 2010 with Super Saver ,
525-562: The 2007 Triple Crown. The horse was withdrawn from the 2000 Guineas two days before the race after suffering a setback and never raced again. Since Nijinsky, only Nashwan (1989), Sea the Stars (2009), and Camelot (2012) have won both the Guineas and the Derby. Between Reference Point in 1987 and Camelot in 2012, no Derby winner (not even the potential Triple Crown winners Nashwan and Sea
560-517: The 8-1 second choice, with jockey Calvin Borel aboard. In 2013, Pletcher's Palace Malice , ridden by Mike Smith, won the 2013 Belmont Stakes . In May 2014, the 140th Kentucky Derby featured four of his horses: Danza, Intense Holiday , Vinceremos and We Miss Artie . In May 2015, the 141st Kentucky Derby featured three more of his horses: Materiality, Itsaknockout, and Carpe Diem. They each finished 6th, 9th, and 10th, respectively. In 2017, he won
595-586: The First World War) have won the English Triple Crown. The most recent – and only winner since World War II – was Nijinsky , in 1970. For many years, it was considered unlikely that any horse would ever win the English Triple Crown again. In the winter of 2006/2007, however, trainer Jim Bolger was training his unbeaten colt Teofilo for the Triple Crown and bookmaker William Hill plc was offering odds of only 12/1 against Teofilo winning
630-720: The Kentucky Derby a second time with Always Dreaming who was looked after for and taken care by Chris Murphy of Long Island (Nephew to the Eclipse Award winner of 1986, Declan Murphy). Pletcher has amassed numerous training titles in New York, Kentucky and Florida, including five consecutive titles at the Saratoga summer meet. He has received several Fourstardave (for Special Achievement at Saratoga Race Course ) and Woody Stephens (for outstanding trainer) Awards from
665-714: The New York Triple Tiara: In 2010, the NYRA changed the configuration of the Triple Tiara to include the Alabama Stakes instead of the Mother Goose. As of 2022, no filly has won the reconfigured Triple Tiara. The New York Handicap Triple is a series of three handicap races run in New York. Although historically notable, the series is now essentially defunct, as two of the races are run on
700-530: The Stars) even entered the St. Leger. This reluctance to compete in the St. Leger is said to be because of the impact it would have on a horse's stud value in a market where speed is preferred to stamina. For a list of the annual individual race winners, see English Triple Crown race winners . Triple Crown winners : †Wartime winners Pommern, Gay Crusader and Gainsborough are not counted, according to many judges, as
735-803: The Two-Year-Old Grand Slam, consists of: Winners of the Two-Year-Old Triple Crown: The New Zealand Triple Crown consists of: The New Zealand Triple Crown is also known as the Hawke's Bay Triple Crown or Hastings Triple Crown as all three races are run there. The only horse to win the New Zealand Triple Crown is Melody Belle in 2019. Three new Triple Crown series were announced for the 2019/2020 season. Each series consists of three prestigious Group races with
SECTION 20
#1732801943598770-624: The United States, the three races that make up the Triple Crown are: There have been several different versions of the Triple Tiara (sometimes known as the Filly Triple Crown) in the United States. One of them was a national version that consisted of undercard events on the same weekends as the associated Triple Crown races: Only one filly won this version of the Triple Tiara, Davona Dale in 1979. Few have even tried as
805-807: The Western Canadian Triple Crown. The Western Canadian Triple Crown consists of: The Australian Triple Crown comprises the following races: The Australian Triple Crown initially included the Canterbury Guineas , which was replaced with the Randwick Guineas. The Spring Grand Slam for older horses consists of: The only horse to win the Spring Grand Slam was the New Zealand bred Rising Fast in 1954. The Two-Year-Old Triple Crown, also known as
840-477: The fall of that year. Between his sophomore and junior years, he worked as a groom for D. Wayne Lukas at Arlington Park near Chicago . He spent the following summer with another legendary Hall of Fame trainer, Charlie Whittingham , working as a groom at Hollywood Park . While attending the University of Arizona, Pletcher was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. He graduated from college with
875-414: The handler may periodically stop and offer the horse water to drink. A horse may need to be walked for a half hour or more. Mechanical hot walkers come in many designs. The horses on the walker go in a circle, and most hot walkers can be set to go in either direction. The most common design in the United States consists of four arms of heavy gauge steel radiating off from a central pivot point containing
910-596: The past, this was not considered a true Triple Crown as the best fillies would often run in the Derby and Two Thousand Guineas. As this is no longer the case, the Fillies' Triple Crown would now be considered as comparable as the original. Winners of the Fillies Triple Crown are: The so-called Stayers Triple Crown consists of the most prestigious long-distance races in the British flat racing season: In
945-683: The same day, making a sweep impossible. In addition, only the Metropolitan Handicap maintains a top-level designation and continues to be run as a handicap. The series consists of: The triple has been won by four horses: In 2019, the New York Racing Association established two series of races for three-year-olds on the turf: the Turf Trinity and the Turf Tiara. As of 2022, neither has been swept by
980-782: The short time between the Kentucky Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan is generally considered too short for fillies. The most commonly accepted version of the Triple Tiara is the American Triple Tiara of Thoroughbred Racing which uses three races from New York. From 1957 to 2002, and 2007 to 2009, these three races were the Acorn Stakes , the Mother Goose Stakes , and the Coaching Club American Oaks . Eight fillies won this version of
1015-399: The supervision of a human at all times, not allowing people to ride a horse while on a hot walker, and if two instead of four horses are on the walker, to place them on opposite sides. Humans employed as hot walkers usually handle the horse on a lead rope and walk alongside the animal after a workout until the animal has cooled down from exercise and their coat has dried. Formal education
1050-492: The three races were all held at Newmarket and racing itself was too disrupted. By this reckoning, there were only 12 triple crown winners, and only three in the 20th century. The following horses won the 2000 Guineas and Derby but were beaten in the St Leger: Additionally: There is also a Fillies Triple Crown for a filly winning the 1,000 Guineas Stakes , Epsom Oaks and St. Leger Stakes . In
1085-426: The track from 5:30 am until 10:30 am or cooling horses out at that time. The job may can be expose workers to extreme climate conditions and some may work 6 days a week. Hot walkers that work at a racetrack must have an occupational license for the state they are working in. The licensing process usually requires people to pay a fee, submit fingerprints, and submit a photo for an identification badge. For hot walkers at
Todd Pletcher - Misplaced Pages Continue
1120-439: The track, employees can receive bonuses if a horse under their care wins a race. In 2009, hot walkers earned $ 19,360 a year. The lowest-paid ten percent of hot walkers earned less than $ 15,000 a year, and the highest-paid 10% earned over $ 31,000 a year. Hot walkers working at the track usually work morning training hours but those working at training facilities can work afternoon hours. Hot walkers start leading horses to and from
1155-408: The work is generally considered entry-level in the horse industry and pay is generally close to the minimum wage . Mechanical hot walkers cost several thousand dollars, and prices varying widely depending on size and construction. Management techniques vary widely, but typically following a workout, a horse is hosed or sponged off to remove sweat and sometimes liniment is applied. While hot-walking,
1190-563: Was established in 1959 and since then seven horses have won it. In 2014, the Hall of Fame decided to honor the five horses who had won the three races before 1959, meaning 12 horses are now officially recognized as winning the Canadian Triple Crown. The Canadian Triple Tiara consists of: As of 2022, only one filly has won it: On May 9, 2023, it was announced that Western Canada would have their own Triple Crown, also dubbed
1225-567: Was named Outstanding Sprint Horse that same year. In 2005, Pletcher set a single season earnings record with purse earnings totaling $ 20,867,842 with trips to the winner's circle in ten Grade 1 races, including the Travers Stakes at Saratoga with Flower Alley and the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland Race Course with Bandini. Pletcher broke his own single-season earnings record on October 7, 2006, when Fleet Indian captured
#597402