Saratoga Maidens, Presented by Keeneland: Pletcher’s Kiddie Corps Snags Another Maiden Special Spa Victory

[Wandering Eyes]

by Mike Kane & Patrycja Szpyra

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Through 14 days of Saratoga's season, Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher's 2-year-olds are getting the job done.

Pletcher picked up his fifth victory in the top-level $100,000 maiden special weight races Sunday when Tapit's Legacy (Tapit) cruised to a five-length victory in the third race under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez. Pletcher has a 5-2-2 record from 15 starters in the open $100,000 races, a win percentage of 33 with a 60 percent finish in the top three. Last season, Pletcher won four of that type of race.

“We've been happy with the way they've come out,” Pletcher said. “Sometimes you don't know until you start running against everyone else's 2-year-olds. You can train yours and they'll be looking good against the ones you're training them with, come over here and do well or they come over here and get their heads handed to them. Then you get a reality check. But, so far, they've been running well.”

The race was scheduled for one mile on the inner turf course, but was moved to seven furlongs on the sloppy, sealed main track after heavy rain fell overnight and into the morning. Six of the 10 horses entered for the turf scratched and Tapit's Legacy drew in as the lone main-track-only entry. Tapit's Legacy, co-owned by Spendthrift Farm and Epic Horses, reached the wire in 1:23.87 and paid $3.30 as the 3-5 favorite.

Three of Pletcher's 2-year-old winners came in the last three days of this second full week of racing. Time to Dream (Not This Time) started the victory parade Friday, Tommy Jo (Into Mischief) broke his maiden Saturday and Tapit's Legacy completed the weekend tri. Pletcher won with Malus (Into Mischief) on July 13 and Emphasis (Yaupon) on July 19.

Todd Pletcher (first left) in the winner's circle with his latest juvenile maiden winner | Sarah Andrew

Corser Thoroughbreds bred the big colt out Peace Corps (Violence). He did not meet his reserve price as a yearling, but sold for $550,000 to Spendthrift and Epic at the OBS March 2-year-old sale.

“He breezed well there,” Pletcher said. “He's a big, good-looking son of Tapit, a pretty straightforward, attractive purchase.”

Starting from the outside in the field of five, Tapit's Legacy sat a length behind pacesetter Chalky White (Practical Joke), who covered the first quarter mile in :23.42 and the half-mile in :46.73. Velazquez asked Tapit's Legacy for more in the turn and he responded but Velazquez said the colt didn't seem that interested in moving past Chalky White at the quarter pole. With some more urging, Tapit's Legacy had the lead just past the eighth pole and easily extended his advantage.

Tapit's Legacy has been working at Saratoga since May. On June 27 he turned in a bullet work, fastest of 80, with a half-mile in :49.00 from the gate over the Oklahoma training track.

“We've liked him all along. He's trained very forwardly,” Pletcher said. “We had him in earlier (in the summer) and he got a little temperature on us. We got backed up a little bit, and was just trying to find an opportunity to get him started. Fortunate here and got him in main track only. It looked like there was rain in the forecast, so it worked out well for him.”

 

 

Tapit's Legacy graduates in R3 at Saratoga under @ljlmvel for trainer Todd Pletcher! pic.twitter.com/3iYOMEoLUd

— TwinSpires Racing (@TwinSpires) July 27, 2025

 

3rd-Saratoga, $97,000, Msw, 7-27, 2yo, 7f (off turf), 1:23.87, sy, 5 lengths.
TAPIT'S LEGACY (c, 2, Tapit–Peace Corps, by Violence) was the only main track only entry in this maiden washed off the turf, and was made a 3-5 favorite for this mile trek. Breaking well to track Chalky White (Practical Joke) as that one splashed through :23.42, :46.73, and six panels in 1:10.99, he was asked for his best at the five-sixteenths and spun off the turn the looming danger to that longtime leader. Taking command passing the eighth pole, Tapit's Legacy drew off from Chalky White to win by five lengths. The victor is the most recent to the races for Peace Corps, but her first to get his picture taken. He has a yearling half-brother by Curlin and a 2025 half-sister by Into Mischief. Sales history: $45,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP; $550,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Spendthrift Farm LLC and Epic Horses LLC; B-Corser Thoroughbreds LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.

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