Pletcher gets a maiden

[Calzone Lord]

Can't speak for pre-Mid 90's ... but from Mid-90's on Lukas was pretty brutal and way, way, more overbet and underachieving than Pletcher.

He did a real number on a bunch of owners - Padua especially.

But like you said, he did campaign his horses hard and wasn't afraid to ship anywhere at anytime. Good from a fan standpoint.

Pletcher certainly isn't a $1.20 ROI year in and year out -- but it's kind of lame how he's become like his own brand or something. He's always been just a winter wizard -- who often gets hot in spots a few weeks before big sales...but is otherwise someone to avoid.

Terrible from a racing fan standpoint with his five and six race campaigns and horses still often falling apart late in the season.

Owners get lured into his brand just like they did with Lukas. There are some other trainers who I think would be at least as successful with his same stock and ownership support. They just don't have the brand that sucks in owners.