American Runner Pluck Heading for Irish 2000 Guineas

It’s not often that one of the most significant up-and-coming American thoroughbreds heads to Ireland for a run on the grass, and it’s even rarer when it happens at the highest level. Team Valor’s bay or brown colt, aptly-titled Pluck (More Than Ready) has been firmly pointed at the Irish 2000 Guineas which is set to be run at the Curragh in the summer.

Pluck emerged onto the scene at the highest level with a dramatic last-to-first victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. Having been forced to track especially wide to avoid a fallen contender who slipped on the wet grass, Pluck ran a game race to rally in the final half-mile – getting a head in front during the last 75 yards.

Prior to that, Pluck’s biggest accomplishment was a score in the Grade 3 Summer Stakes at Woodbine in Toronto, Canada.

The Team Valor-bred was moved out of Todd Pletcher’s barn following the Breeders’ Triumph and he is now under the tutelage of Graham Motion and has recently seen an uptick in his training regiment as his conditioner pushed him to his first 5/8 breeze this year.

Speaking to the Daily Racing Form, Motion declared “That was his first serious five-eigths… I’d like to get a race for him prior to that (the Irish Guineas). I imagine it will be at Keeneland in the Transylvania.”