More ground may help Ivy Bell earn first Grade 1 in Phipps

ELMONT, N.Y. – Last month, faced with the option to run Ivy Bell short or long, trainer Todd Pletcher opted for short. When Ivy Bell finished second to American Gal in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff at Churchill Downs, Pletcher regretted his decision.

This week, Pletcher again gave himself the option to run Ivy Bell short, in Friday’s Grade 3, $250,000 Bed o’ Roses Invitational at seven furlongs, or long in Saturday’s Grade 1, $750,000 Ogden Phipps at 1 1/16 miles. He has opted for long, which he feels fairly confident is the right call.

Pletcher, a three-time winner of the Phipps, said watching Ivy Bell train since the Humana Distaff “gives us confidence she wants to run farther. In her seven-furlong races, she’s not rank, she’s not headstrong. I think she’ll be able to settle into a rhythm and carry it over some more ground.”

Ivy Bell was one of eight fillies and mares entered in the Phipps, which awards a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November at Churchill Downs. She was one of three cross-entered in the Bed o’ Roses and Phipps. On Thursday, Simon Callaghan, the trainer of American Gal, and Rodrigo Ubillo, trainer of Highway Star, both said they were leaning toward running in the Bed o’ Roses and scratching from the Phipps.

Ivy Bell has run twice for Pletcher. In March, at Gulfstream Park, she overcame a bobble at the break and some traffic trouble to win the Grade 2 Inside Information by a length. In the Humana Distaff, she was simply second best to American Gal, losing by two lengths while finishing three clear of Lewis Bay, who was entered in the Bed o’ Roses.

At 115 pounds, Ivy Bell will be in receipt of six pounds from her Grade 1-winning stablemate Unbridled Mo, and eight pounds from Abel Tasman, last year’s 3-year-old filly champion. Javier Castellano rides Ivy Bell from post 2.

Unbridled Mo comes into the Phipps off a 2 1/4-length victory in the Grade 1 Apple Blossom at Oaklawn Park. Unbridled Mo, who drew the rail, is 7 for 8 in races run around two turns and 0 for 2 in races run around one turn, such as the Phipps.

“My biggest concern is the one-turn aspect might not be her very best,” Pletcher said. “We needed to run somewhere. Having won a Grade 1, she deserves a chance to do it again.”

Abel Tasman, trained by Bob Baffert, won the Grade 1 Acorn here last year on Belmont Stakes Day as part of her Eclipse Award-winning campaign. In her 4-year-old debut, she finished fourth as the 3-5 favorite in the Grade 1 La Troienne on May 4.

“She’s come back and worked really well,” Baffert said. “I think it woke her up; she just needed it.”

Pacific Wind has gone 2 for 2 for trainer Chad Brown, including a one-length victory in the Grade 2 Ruffian going a one-turn mile over this track May 6.

“She’s going to have to step up because it’s a real Grade 1, but she’s 2 for 2 this year with us, she seems to have really matured and developed into a really fine racehorse on the dirt,” Brown said. “She looks and trains like a horse that’s going to continue to improve to me. Off that last race, I think she deserves a shot in the Grade 1.”

Unchained Melody, winner of the Grade 2 Mother Goose here last year, makes her second start off a layoff. Her trainer, Brian Lynch, is removing the blinkers he put on the filly for that race.

Berned, who won a maiden race at Belmont as 2-year-old, comes in off a 1 3/4-length victory in the Serena’s Song on May 12 at Monmouth.

The Phipps goes as race 3 and is the first of nine graded stakes on Saturday’s 13-race program.

KENNY MARTIN/COGLIANESE PHOTOS Ivy Bell has never raced farther than seven furlongs and enters the Phipps off a runner-up effort in the Humana Distaff.