Yes, Dynamic One’s victory came in a listed stakes, the Curlin. Yes, it came in a 3-year-old race buried in the laundry that is Jim Dandy Weekend at Saratoga – especially with star sophomore Essential Quality headlining.
But Friday’s Curlin, which was limited to 3-year-olds who had not won a graded stakes of a mile or longer in 2021, served its purpose. This was the race all of Dynamic One’s connections waited to see from a colt who set his high-powered owners back $725,000.
Now, those owners: Repole Stable, Phipps Stable and St. Elias Stable, may see Dynamic One return to Grade 1 competition. Trainer Todd Pletcher said he liked what he saw from Dynamic One’s performance and put the Travers Stakes on the table as a possible next stop.
“I think he definitely showed that he is capable of stepping up. And we were looking at this as a potential Travers prep, and he gave us everything we could have hoped for today,†Pletcher told the New York Racing Association’s Brian Bohl.
Since you asked, Dynamic One’s Equibase was a 102
One of those owners, Vincent Viola of St. Elias Stable, likes where his trainer’s going here. That, after liking where Dynamic One went in his last-to-first, 1 ¾-length triumph.
“He’s been coming around to that. I’d like to see his (speed) number off today’s race,†Viola said. “I really think he’ll be competitive in the Travers. I think that’s where Todd will aim him after today. It’s up to Todd, but that’s what we’re thinking.â€
If Dynamic One sounds familiar, well, he should to 3-year-old watchers. The last time you saw the Union Rags progeny was in the May 1 Kentucky Derby. There, he finished a miserable 18th out of the 19 starters – 32 ¼ lengths behind Medina Spirit. That told Pletcher Dynamic One needed time off and class relief. The Derby was only Dynamic One’s second stakes race.
This was not a Derby to remember
His first was the Wood Memorial at Aqueduct, where he finished a head behind 72/1 Bourbonic. That got Dynamic One into the Derby, where he never fired after getting bumped by Midnight Bourbon right after the start. He ran a rank race and never settled for jockey Jose Ortiz.
So Pletcher sent Dynamic One to the bench for the next five-plus weeks. He brought him back June 10 for the first of six workouts at Belmont Park over the next five weeks. Pletcher sneaked in a final Saratoga work July 23, then sent him out in Friday’s nine-furlong Curlin.
That race often gets buried because it’s run the same weekend as the more heralded Travers prep: the Jim Dandy. As you expect from a Grade 2 vs. a Listed race, you usually see more accomplished horses in the Jim Dandy. But this doesn’t faze Pletcher from looking toward the 1 ¼-mile Travers and the deep field that awaits.
Some get this racing thing quicker than others
“He’s a horse that always trained exceptionally well,†Pletcher said. “We always felt like there was a lot of talent there. It’s taken him a little while to mentally put it all together, but today was his most professional race.â€
Dynamic One’s second victory was easily the biggest of his career to date. He’s hit the board four times in seven outings (2-2-0), good for $260,120 in earnings. Only another $459,880 to go to make back that purchase price.
