Todd Pletcher is the all-time winning most trainer in North America in prize-money won with more than $513 million in his Hall of Fame career. At the Breeders’ Cup, he has 15 wins, tying him for third in that category with Bill Mott. Pletcher ranks third in prize-money won at the Breeders’ Cup with $29 million.

Todd has seven runners entered in this year’s event at Del Mar, live on Sky Sports Racing, after having to withdraw Locked from the Classic after pre-entries were announced.

TOMMY JO  (Juvenile Fillies, 22.25 Friday)

A daughter Into Mischief, Tommy Jo won her first two starts impressively at Saratoga - including the Grade 1 Spinaway - before finishing second in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland though she was elevated to first by the stewards who deemed a bumping incident cost Tommy Jo a better placing.

Jockey John Velazquez said Tommy Jo seemed to struggle with the two turns of the Alcibiades, but she has come back with two good works at Saratoga.

“She had two dominant races at Saratoga, it was hard to say what was going to happen the other day,” Pletcher said. “They were in a dogfight, she got bumped and lost all momentum.”

TIME TO DREAM  (Juvenile Fillies Turf, 23.05 Friday)

Daughter of Not This Time won her first two starts at Saratoga, including the P.G. Johnson Stakes, with two impressive off-the-pace runs.

She was a late-closing third when beaten one length in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland in her most recent start.

“Didn’t get the trip we were hoping for last time,” Pletcher said. “I think she’s better than what we saw the other day. She closed well, she didn’t get clear soon enough.”

CELEBRITY WARRIOR  (Juvenile Fillies Turf, 23.05 Friday)

Irish-bred daughter of Celebrity Warrior has finished second in both of her starts, beaten four lengths by the undefeated and promising Ultimate Love (also lines up here) in the Selima Stakes at Laurel Park in her second start. She figures a forward presence in the Breeders’ Cup.

“She’s run well in both of her starts, ran against a very good filly last time at Laurel,” Pletcher said. “She has tactical speed, we’ll take a shot.”

TED NOFFEY  (Juvenile, 23.45 Friday)

This son of Into Mischief could be the shortest-priced favourite in the 14 Breeders’ Cup races when he faces eight rivals in the $2 million Juvenile, a race Pletcher has won four times.

Ted Noffey is unbeaten in three including Grade 1 stakes victories in the Hopeful at Saratoga and the Breeders’ Futurity at Keeneland, the latter at the same 1 1-16-mile distance of the Juvenile.

“I think he possesses that factor that seems like all really good horses have, a high cruising speed with the ability to accelerate. That puts him in a good spot, and he has the ability to finish.”

ANTIQUARIAN  (Classic, 22.25 Saturday)

After a modest three-year-old season in which he won the Grade 3 Peter Pan Stakes and finished fifth in the Belmont Stakes, this four-year-old son of Preservationist has improved with each start this year. His last race was his best to date, culminating in a solid 1 1-2-length victory in the Grade 1 Jockey Club Gold Cup. He is likely to be the biggest price of the three Classic starters for Pletcher.

“Physical and mental maturity,” Pletcher said were key to Antiquarian’s development. “He was solid as a three-year-old, able to win the Peter Pan, kept showing us he had more talent than maybe we accomplished as a three -year-old. I think with his pedigree we always felt like he was going to be better at four and five than he was at two and three.”

Luis Saez picks up the mount as his regular rider, John Velazquez, is committed to Fierceness.

FIERCENESS  (Classic, 22.25 Saturday)

Won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile at two and was second to Sierra Leone in the Classic at three and is back to try to win it this year.

Has run some dazzling races, such as his victories in the Florida Derby and Travers at three but has thrown in some clunkers, most notably the Champagne at two and the Kentucky Derby at three. He shipped to Del Mar in August to win the Pacific Classic, overcoming veering in sharply at the break and having to make an early move between horses down the backside. 

“I think in some ways the Pacific Classic might have been a breakthrough race for him,” Pletcher said. “Johnny (Velazquez) learned something about the way you can ride him and still be successful. Maybe we put too much thought into the fact that he has to be in a certain position and try to ride him to get to that position. When he made the mistake of ducking into the rail, he had no choice to ride him differently. Now, he has confidence he can ride him however he needs to.”

MINDFRAME  (Classic, 22.25 Saturday)

This four-year-old son of Constitution, with five wins and two seconds from eight starts, could be the most talented older male dirt horse in training in the U.S. The problem is his last real 
race was his victory over Sierra Leone in the Grade 1 Stephen Foster at Churchill Downs on June 28.

He did run in the Jockey Club Gold Cup at Saratoga on August 31, but a bumping incident soon after the start caused his jockey, Irad Ortiz Jr., to be unseated and the horse ran loose around the track until the quarter pole when he was caught by an outrider.

Pletcher almost immediately decided just to train the horse up to the Classic, feeling a race in between could do more to decrease than increase his chances of being at his best for the 
Classic.

“I think everything’s gone according to plan, good work, real big gallop out,” Pletcher said after his last work. “He’s as good as we can have him coming into it. We just hope the absence of that true race in the Jockey Club doesn’t affect us.”