Pletcher sends out Tip Top Thomas, Crudo in Listed $200K Dwyer

Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle a strong pair in Tip Top Thomas and Crudo for Saturday’s Listed $200,000 Dwyer, a one-turn mile for sophomores, Aqueduct Racetrack.

The Dwyer, previously held at the Belmont at the Big A spring meet, is slated as Race 3 on Saturday’s 10-race program. The lucrative card also features the Grade 2, $300,000 Mother Goose in Race 9, the Grade 3, $250,000 Long Island in Race 10, the Grade 3, $200,000 Hill Prince in Race 7; and the re-scheduled Listed $150,000 Pumpkin Pie in Race 4. First post is 11:40 a.m. Eastern.

The streaking Tip Top Thomas [post 1, John Velazquez] and ultra-consistent Crudo [post 6, Kendrick Carmouche, blinkers ON] will look to provide Pletcher with his fourth Dwyer score following past success with Strong Hope [2003], Any Given Saturday [2007] and Charge It [2022].

James J. Bakke and Gerald Isbister’s Tip Top Thomas enters on a three-race win streak dating to a local 3 1/4-length optional-claiming score traveling a one-turn mile in May. The Volatile chestnut followed with a pair of stakes scores at 1 1/16-miles, posting a half-length win over Coal Battle in the Grade 3 Indiana Derby on July 5 and a head score over Fact last out in the Listed Smarty Jones on August 19 at Parx.

The $160,000 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Yearling Sale purchase has trained extensively over the Belmont Park dirt training track, including a solo half-mile breeze Saturday in 49.95 seconds.

“He worked very well. He's been in good form for a long time, so hopefully he can keep doing what he's been doing,” said Pletcher’s Belmont Park-based assistant Stu Hampson. “He worked solo and clicked off in 49 and change and galloped out 1:03. It was a pretty solid work.”

Hampson said the improving chestnut always shows up.

“He's very athletic,” Hampson said. “He's racey and all heart to find a way to win. He'll go out there and cut out true fractions, dig in and fight back. He can sit off of a horse or two.”

Tip Top Thomas, a half-brother to dual graded stakes-placed Dua and multiple stakes-winner Gray Attempt, is out of the winning Consolidator mare Attempt to Name. His second dam, Capacity, is a half-sister to the popular dual Grade 2-winning Ontario-bred Tower of Texas.

Bobby Flay and James Ventura’s Crudo captured the restricted Sir Barton in May at third asking with a powerful frontrunning 7 1/2-length romp. The Justify bay was off-the-board in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in June at Saratoga Race Course and has since finished fourth in a trio of NYRA-circuit stakes – most recently a pacesetting fourth on turf in the 11-furlong Grade 2 Jockey Club Derby Invitational on October 4 here.

“He's run a couple of really credible races on the turf. He ran super there last time and just got leg weary late and got caught,” Hampson said.

Crudo worked a half-mile in 49.66 Saturday over the Belmont dirt training track in company with Grade 3-winning filly Scalable.

“We breezed him in blinkers and he had a very strong gallop out which is typical of him,” Hampson said. “He's a horse that's been handy and shown speed early. He's in good form. He went in company with Scalable and she's a very honest workhorse.”

A $350,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, Crudo, a half-brother to Grade 1-winner Sippican Harbor, is out of the Deputy Minister mare Blossomed - a half-sister to Grade 3-winner Cinemine and stakes-winner Flick. 

Juddmonte’s Kentucky homebred Disco Time [post 2, Florent Geroux] is a perfect 4-for-4 for dual Eclipse Award-winning trainer Brad Cox.

The Not This Time dark bay captured the Grade 3 Lecomte at third asking over a sloppy and sealed main track in January at Fair Grounds. He did not return to action until September 19 at Fairmount Park where he wired the St. Louis Derby by 5 1/2-lengths, covering 1 1/16-miles in 1:43.87 and earning a 102 Beyer Speed Figure.

Disco Time is out of the Grade 2-placed Pennsylvania-bred Jump Start mare Disco Chick, who banked $735,250 through a 42-10-14-6 ledger.

Frassetto Stables’ Stars and Stripes [post 4, Jose Lezcano] will make his stakes debut off a pair of impressive wins traveling nine furlongs versus elders for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

The Not This Time bay graduated at second asking here in June over sloppy and sealed footing, romping to a 10 1/2-length score over next-up maiden winner Makes Sense. He followed on July 17 at the Spa with a stalking 7 1/4-length win over Rocketeer that registered a 90 Beyer.

The $100,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, a half-brother to Grade 3-winner Waves of Mischief, is out of the Quality Road mare Pearl River. His second dam, Ain’t She Sweet, is a full-sister to multiple Grade 1-winners Life Is Sweet and Sweet Catomine.

A talented field includes Dream On [post 3, Javier Castellano], winner of the Grade 3 Penn Mile over yielding turf in June for dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse; and stakes-placed Light Forever [post 5, Andy Hernandez] for trainer Guadalupe Preciado.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Aqueduct Racetrack fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Aqueduct Racetrack, and the best way to bet every race of the fall meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.