Pletcher takes aim at Churchill

One week after he picked up his first victory in a Triple Crown race when Rags To Riches won the Belmont Stakes, Todd Pletcher could have a big day at Churchill Downs.

The country’s leading trainer again in terms of purse earnings nearing the halfway point of 2006, Pletcher has representatives in three of the four major stakes today in Louisville, Ky.

In the richest race, the $750,000 Stephen Foster Handicap, Pletcher is loaded. He will send out 123-pound high weight Master Command and Magna Graduate. The duo has combined for more than $3.1 million in earnings but are both looking for their first victories in a Grade I.

“The only thing missing on either of their resumes is a Grade I win,” Pletcher said. “We feel they are both Grade I quality horses. Both would be deserving if they were fortunate enough to win the Foster. They’ve been training well.”

Owned by Aaron and Marie Jones, Master Command, a 5-year-old son of A.P. Indy, who is also the sire of Rags To Riches, has been unchallenged in three starts in 2007.

He won the Mineshaft and New Orleans handicaps at the Fair Grounds before taking the National Jockey Club Handicap at Hawthorne on April 21. John Velazquez will ride the Pennsylvania-bred as he aims for his ninth win in 16 starts.

“He seems to have gotten a little better each year,” Pletcher said.

A 5-year-old Honor Grades horse, Magna Graduate is two for three this year, having recovered from a horrible effort in the Donn Handicap to earn victories in the Razorback Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark., and the Excelsior Breeders’ Cup Handicap a month later at Aqueduct. Garrett Gomez will ride the dark bay for the first time for owner Elisabeth Alexander.

Immediately before the Foster, Indian Vale will look for her seventh win in 10 starts for Pletcher against a quality field in the $300,000 Fleur de Lis Handicap, a Grade II at 1 1/8 miles.

The Fleur de Lis, the best race for older fillies and mares run anywhere in the country this year, also attracted Ermine, Asi Siempre and Fiery Pursuit, the upset winner of the Louisville Breeders’ Cup over a sloppy surface on May 4 at Churchill.

Owned by breeders Eugene and Laura Melnyk, Indian Vale, a 5-year-old A.P. Indy mare, has won six of nine, including the Fall City Handicap by 6 1/2 lengths last Nov. 24 at Churchill.

The other two graded stakes that are part of a $250,000 guaranteed pick four pool of $250,000 are the Mint Julep Handicap for older fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on turf and the $200,000 Regret for 3-year-old fillies at 1 1/8 miles on grass.

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The main event of the weekend at Hollywood Park is the $100,000-added Affirmed Handicap, which will be run for the 29th time on Sunday.

A Grade III for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles, the Affirmed is a prep for the $350,000 Swaps Breeders’ Cup Stakes on July 14.

Six are scheduled to run in the Affirmed, including 121-pound high weight Cobalt Blue, who was the beaten favorite in the longer Alydar on May 26. Owned by Merv Griffin and trained by Doug O’Neill, Cobalt Blue finished 1 1/2 lengths behind Awesome Gambler, who is also in Sunday’s race, in the Alydar.

“He probably needed that race,” O’Neill said. “He hadn’t run since the Illinois Derby,” where he finished seventh as the even-money favorite on April 7 at Hawthorne. “He’s full of energy and the Affirmed is a sixteenth of a mile shorter than the Alydar, which should not hurt him,” O’Neill said.

Besides Cobalt Blue and Awesome Gambler, the Affirmed attracted Time To Get Even, Unusual Suspect, Desert Code and Albertus Maximus.

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The inaugural running of the $75,000-added Round Table Handicap is the main event on today’s card at Hollywood Park.

Named in honor of the horse who won 43 of 66 and was the champion grass performer for three consecutive years (1957 to ‘59), the Round Table will be run at 1 3/4 miles on turf. It will be the first race at the distance in Inglewood since 1992.

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bob.mieszerski@latimes.com