Horse racing is an interesting sport within itself; with the number of increasing spectators and attractions it is gaining, there is no doubt that the element of thrill in this 2-min-race sport is unmatched by anything else. There are a lot of trainers worldwide known for their horse breeding skills, training them, and also as jockeys!
America is a hub for trainers and jockeys like these; Todd Pletcher is such one trainer who has made an immaculate name for himself. If you have even the tiniest bit of interest in this horse racing, I am sure you have heard the name of this legendary thoroughbred horse trainer known for his skill all around the world.
At the early age of twenty-eight years old, in December of 1995, Pletcher got his license for horse training and then went on to do great things in the field of horse racing. Just a few months into the field, he had his first win with his horse Majestic Number at Gulfstream Park, Florida.
He then won his two Saratoga’s in the year 1998 by Jersey Girl and More Than Ready. He got his much-deserved break in the year 2004, nine years in the training field with Ashado, a three-year-old horse who won him Kentucky Oaks in Louisville and the Breeder’s Cup in the fall of the same year.
The reason for his success is obviously many, his consistency and natural talent being the top ones, but his father’s role in his developing an interest in the field is undeniable. Born in Dallas, Texas, to father Jake and mother Jerrie Pletcher, he had good exposure to horse training with a stable close to their house and his father himself being one being a horse trainer. From a young age, Pletcher was seen helping his father around in the training and horse stables from the age of seven itself.
He used to work as a hot walker, someone who walks the horses after a hot and sweaty run. He then went on to work with Henry Monero, Del Mar Racecourses, Charlie Wittingman, and Darrell Wayne Lukas; with Lukas, he was promoted to assistant trainer after completing his degree in Animal Science from a reputed institution. All this previous training and working under top trainers and winners of the Kentucky Derby strengthened his own career as a horse trainer.
Todd Pletcher’s Net Worth
This man, who is known for having earned the Eclipse Award for Best Trainer eight times, and four times in consecutive years of 2004-2007, has a net worth of a thundering $12M. Todd Pletcher has claimed more than 4,000 wins in the years that he has been in the field, from which he has earned an estimated amount of $311 Million as a thorough of his extremely inspiring career in horse training.
He has earned not only money but also a good number of training titles in Florida, New York, and Kentucky. His trained horses have also had a lot of starts, which comes down to the percentages and statistics stated to be the second most number of starts that anyone has had. For example, in Kentucky Derby, over the last fifteen years, the record is 43 starts.
Pletcher had his first win at Kentucky Oaks in the year 2004 with his horse, Ashado. After that, he made a record by making single-season earnings of more than $20,000,000 by winning 10 Grade 1 races in the year 2005. Rags to Riches turned out to be a lucky horse for him as it also earned him his first Triple Crown by winning two matches in one season in 2007; Triple Crow is a British Championship given to a colt who wins certain races in one single session.
Apart from this, Pletcher also owns a business where he trains horses of other individuals; it is said that some of his trained horses have won $500M, participating in major championships such as the that include the Breeders’ Cup, Kentucky Oaks, Kentucky Derby, Belmont Stakes, and Pegasus World Cup.
It will not be wrong to say that Pletcher’s net worth receives a good upwards bump because of his horse training business. Taking about the properties that this Kentucky Derby winner has includes a house on Long Island, New York, that costs around $2 Million. He lives in the house with his wife, who he has dated since he was in high school Tracy Pletcher and got married to on the 29th of February, 1992.
He has three kids, two boys, and a girl; the oldest is Paytin, the middle is Kyle, and the youngest is Hannah. On various occasions, he can be seen talking about how much his family and their constant support have helped him grow and work. He also mentions his gratefulness towards his parents, who showed and taught him about horse training initially, something he dearly loves now.
Some of Pletcher’s Greatest Matches
1. Kentucky Oaks (2004)
Todd had been in the training horses field for a while now; his trained horses were winning and earning him a name, too; the very first race that Todd’s horse won was back in 1998 when Jessie Girl won Grade Won Test Takes, and things did go uphill from there as he partook in various different championships. But he needed to break through in bigger championships, and that happened when Ashado, his trained horse, won the Kentucky Oaks on the 30th of April in 2004.
During the match, Ashado had somewhat of a last minute full force win, as it was in the second-place behind Madcap Escapade, but then went past it like a bullet and secured the first place for itself and a Kentucky Oaks first-place title for Pletcher.
2. Kentucky Derby (2010)
Todd Pletcher secured a name for himself in history with this win at the Kentucky Derby championship, one of the hardest races. It was the 136th Kentucky Derby; Pletcher was tense but knew that he had to keep calm and believe in his trained horse and jockey, Calvin Borel. As the race starts, Super Saver catches the pace and goes for the win, slowly at first but breaking through the herd like a cakewalk; Super Saver and Borel knew exactly what they wanted.
As the race continued and Borel led along with Super Saver, the shine in Todd’s eyes was undeniable, and it was here to stay. As Borel and Super Saver win, Todd gets his first Kentucky Derby.
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