Horse racing: Benzel hoping to follow in Pletcher’s footsteps

SARATOGA SPRINGS — An aspiring trainer — young, talented and ambitious — leaves his job as top assistant at one of the most successful operations in the country to make his mark.

Todd Pletcher was 28 when he said goodbye to Hall of Fame mentor D. Wayne Lukas and hello to the uncertainty of being on his own. Twelve years, eight champions and four Eclipse Awards later, things have turned out just fine.

“It’s one of those things where you have to make that decision yourself,” Pletcher said this week inside his office at the Oklahoma training track.

“Working for Wayne was great. At some point, you decide whether or not you want to do it yourself or continue to work for someone else. I just felt like I wanted to do my own thing.”

Seth Benzel can relate. After six years as Pletcher’s main sidekick, the 33-year-old Rochester-area native is following a similar road, leaving behind that security to hang up his own shingle a few furlongs away on the Oklahoma backstretch.

Since May 1, Benzel has been situated at barn 77, which appears eerily as immaculate and organized as his former digs. Benzel even converted a small one-room cottage adjacent to the barn once used as living quarters into his office, where the clicking of computer keyboards picks up after the pounding of hooves stops.

“Everything’s been going great,” Benzel said. “I’m very happy with the response so far. By the weekend, we’ll have 30 head here in Saratoga and that was really kind of a target number for me just starting out.

“Not only that, but I’m real happy with the quality and the group of owners we have. They have been fantastic and very supportive, and have brought in a nice quality horse to us.”

Benzel’s first training job came at his hometown track, Finger Lakes, when he was 18. After four years at Lake Erie College, located in Painesville, Ohio, he landed a job with Hall of Famer Bill Mott, one that lasted 41⁄2 years until hooking up with Pletcher in June 2002.

He worked six years under Pletcher, overseeing his large string of horses at Oklahoma in the off-season, and helping out during the annual six-week Saratoga Race Course meet.

“We had enough great experiences over there and so many races won and so many great

moments that it was really the ultimate job,” Benzel said. “But, I never lost sight of my ultimate goal. As you feel yourself coming into your own and really having confidence training horses, you want to try it yourself.”

Thus far, Benzel has had four starters, three of them at Belmont Park, including his first, Bayou Timber, who ran eighth June 13. From there, Storm Harbor was fifth June 15 at Belmont and filly Why West was third at Monmouth Park July 18, the same day Ya Think ran second to the Pletcher-trained Hall of Famer in a Belmont allowance.

“If you believe in patterns, we’re heading in the right direction,” Benzel said. “Although we’ve failed to get the big prize yet, we’re knocking on the door. When you take horses over kind of in the middle of their campaign, it’s hard to go out there and just get the job done off the little total time you’ve had with them. We’re enthusiastic to have them and look forward to coming back after having an run with them.”

Benzel hopes to break through today at Belmont, where he’ll saddle Expansion in the fourth race, a 11⁄8-mile allowance/optional claimer on the inner turf.

Formerly trained by Barclay Tagg, Expansion was set to be Benzel’s first starter, but was scratched during Belmont Stakes week.

“I’ve been really high on this horse,” Benzel said. “Barclay had him for a couple of starts and the last time he had him he ran at Gulfstream first time on grass and ran a huge race to get up for second. He’s trained very well for me here.”

The majority of Benzel’s horses are 2-year-olds, one of Team Pletcher’s specialties, with a handful of older horses mixed in. Gary and Mary West, and David Moore of Edgewood Farm have been his main clients.

“It looks like he’s getting off to a good start,” Pletcher said. “He’s got a fair number of horses and essentially that’s all you can hope for when you do go out on your own, to get enough horses and get a chance to prove yourself.”

Benzel hopes to do that starting next month at Saratoga, the world’s highest-profile meet that has launched the careers of some of racing’s biggest stars, both human and equine.

“It’s creeping up on us, but it’s almost showtime and our horses hopefully will be able to step up against some of the best in the country. That’s why we’re here,” Benzel said. “Obviously, there’s no better show during July and August than here at Saratoga. If you can show you can step up against some of the better trainers in the country and they see results, then you make quite an impression on a lot of people.”

Well-spoken, knowledgeable and professional, Benzel has already reminded some of his former boss.

“I think we could all aspire to be so successful,” he said. “Todd was a great mentor and always will be. I’ll never ever be able to forget what we all experienced over there. Hopefully, that will allow me to do what I’ve always wanted to do.”

SITTING OUT

Jockey Jeremy Rose was suspended for six months by Delaware Park stewards for a whipping incident that took place on Monday.

In making their ruling, stewards said Rose “engaged in extreme misuse of the whip during the stretch run” while riding Appeal to the City. The 5-year-old mare was taken to New Bolton Center for treatment of hemorrhaging around her eye due to contact with the whip.

Rose, the Eclipse Award-winning apprentice of 2001 who won the 2005 Preakness and Belmont aboard Afleet Alex, has appealed the decision, which will be considered at a July 22 hearing. His lawyer said Rose requested a stay to continue riding until the hearing, but was denied.

As part of their ruling, stewards also mandated that Rose pay for all veterinary bills pertaining to the care and treatment of Appeal to the City. In addition, he is required to complete an anger management course approved by the stewards within the next six months.

“I want everyone to know that this was an accident and not an intentional act on my part. I did not mean to hit her in the face,” Rose said in a statement. “I am truly sorry for what happened.”

WEEKEND STAKES

Belmont Park serves up a pair of Grade I races today with the $400,000 Suburban for older horses and the $250,000 Mother Goose for 3-year-old fillies.

In the 11⁄4-mile Suburban, A.P. Arrow, makes his North American return after running fourth to Curlin in the $6 million Dubai World Cup in March. Also entered is Harlington, who has been limited to two starts in more than two years by injuries. Only four will contest the 11⁄8-mile Mother Goose, led by Kentucky Oaks winner Proud Spell.

An eight-time graded stakes winner, Perfect Drift looks to become only the fifth horse in history to win a Grade I at age 9 in today’s $750,000 Hollywood Gold Cup at Hollywood Park. Heatseeker, considered the top older horse in the West, will scratch after suffering an ankle injury.

Also at Hollywood are the Grade II A Gleam for female sprinters 3 and up, and the Grade II American Handicap at 11⁄8 miles on grass. Two-time Grade I winner Intangeroo tops the A Gleam, while Daytona goes after his seventh win in eight starts in the American.

Pletcher will send out a quarter of the field in today’s Grade III $150,000 Chicago Breeders’ Cup Handicap for female sprinters at Arlington Park: Leah’s Secret, Mini Sermon and Featherbed.

Garden District, second against colts in the Grade III Kentucky Stakes May 1, returns to face her own gender in today’s Grade III $100,000 Debutante at Churchill Downs. The six-furlong sprint is the frist grded event of 2008 for 2-year-old fillies.

Second in each of his first two starts this year, multiple graded stakes winner Zanjero goes after the Grade II $300,000 Cornhusker Handicap for 3-year-olds and up today at Prairie Meadows. Other graded winners in the field are Delightful Kiss and Fairbanks.

Nine 3-year-old fillies, led by co-topweights My Princess Jess and Much Obliged, were entered for today’s Grade III $150,000 Boiling Springs on the Monmouth Park turf.

Juveniles take center stage at Belmont on Sunday with the Astoria for fillies and the Tremont for males, both $100,000 stakes run at 51⁄2 furlongs.

At Hollywood Park, females 3 and up will go 10 furlongs on the grass in the Grade II $150,000 Beverly Hills Handicap.

AROUND THE TRACKS

u Sam P., co-owned by Schenectady native Don Lucarelli, breezed four furlongs on the Churchill Downs turf in :51.60 on Thursday. Eighth to Curlin in the June 14

Stephen Foster, he is being considered for grass in his next start.

u Undefeated state-bred Bustin Stones, owned by Roddy Valente of Troy, had a bullet half-mile work in :47.69 Tuesday on Belmont’s training track, the fastest of 27 horses. Unseen since winning the Grade I Carter in April, he is being pointed to a return in the Grade II A.G. Vanderbilt July 26 at Saratoga.

u Matthew Straight of East Greenbush made his riding debut Friday at Churchill downs, finishing fifth aboard Bali Warrior in the eighth race and sixth on Miss Sara K. in the 11th. Straight is a graduate of the North American Racing Academy, founded by retired Hall of Fame jockey Chris McCarron.

u Curlin went an easy five furlongs in 1:03.80 Monday at Churchill, moving in splits of :13.20, :26.20, :38.80 and :51.20, and galloping out six furlongs in 1:17. He is scheduled to work on the grass July 1, the first step toward a start in the Arc de Triomphe Oct. 5 in Paris.

u Santa Anita Park in California, host of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup, will convert its main track to the Pro-Ride synthetic surface starting July 14. Pro-Ride stepped in to help when the track experienced problems with its artificial Cushion Track over the winter. The process is expected to take six weeks.

u Harry Aleo, owner of 2005 Eclipe Award winning sprinter Lost in the Fog, died June 21 at his San Francisco home. A former Brooklyn Dodgers farmhand and World War II veteran, Aleo was 88.

u Tony Micallef, who represents Belmont-winning jockey Alan Garcia, surrendered his agent’s license this week to the state Racing &

Wagering Board, according to the Racing Form. Citing several sources, DRF said Micallef did so after refusing to take a urine test.

u Jockey Jose Lezcano tied a Monmouth track record by riding six winners on Sunday, joining Walter Blum (1961), Chris Antley (1984), Julie Krone (1987) and Joe Bravo (1994, 2002, 2005, 2006). His streak included a victory in the $70,000 Blue Sparkler stakes aboard Coli Bear.

u To help celebrate the event’s 25th anniversary, fans can vote on the top 25 moments in Breeders’ Cup history at www.breederscup.com/poll_top25.aspx through July 17.

u Hidetoshi Yamamoto, Japanese owner of Casino Drive, donated $30,000 last week to Anna House, a day-care facility at Belmont. Yamamoto was touched by a visit from Anna House kids during Belmont week. A foot bruise forced Casino Drive to miss the Belmont.

ON THIS DATE

In 1977, Steve Cauthen, on his first day as a journeyman jockey, won with his first three mounts at Belmont Park.