Speak Easy breaks his maiden on debut Jan. 27, 2024, at Gulfstream Park (Coglianese)
David Joseph/Gulfstream Park
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Speak Easy, unraced since losing for the first time in last summer’s H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga, will launch his comeback Saturday at Gulfstream Park on the undercard of the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2).
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Speak Easy drew Post 3 of seven in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track. It is the third of 14 races on a program that begins at 11:30 a.m.
“First time off a little layoff, but he’s been training well,” Pletcher said. “He ran well in his debut at Gulfstream at this distance, so hopefully he can come back in good fashion.”
A homebred son of the Pletcher-trained 2014 Florida Derby (G1) and 2015 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution, Speak Easy was a 1 ¾-length winner of his unveiling over well-regarded Victory Avenue in January 2024 on the undercard of the $3 million Pegasus World Cu Invitational (G1).
Speak Easy was entered in the Fountain of Youth but was forced to scratch when he ran off with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the post parade warmup, crashing into the rail in upper stretch and suffering cuts on his legs which required stitches. He didn’t race again until a popular 2 ¼-length allowance triumph going six furlongs in July at Saratoga. The bay colt was wheeled back four weeks later in the seven-furlong Jerkens where he wound up ninth, beaten 12 ½ lengths, by Domestic Product.
Following some time off, Speak Easy returned to the worktab Christmas Eve at WinStar Training Center in Kentucky. Often paired with Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) runner-up Mindframe, he shows seven timed breezes since mid-January at Palm Beach Downs for his return. Ortiz gets the return call.
“Unfortunate to have missed some time with him,” Pletcher said. “We were intending on running in the Fountain of Youth, but he came back with a good win. We made a pretty ambitious move to give him a try in the Allen Jerkens [and he] kind of needed some time after that race. Looks like, physically, he’s done well, and he’s put together some nice breezes working in company with Mindframe. Hopefully that has him prepared to run off the layoff.”
Also in the race are 2022 Prince of Wales and 2023 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G3) winner Duke of Love; Into Pleasure, a winner of two straight; multiple stakes-winning 6-year-old Speaking; Dreaming of Kona, whose previous tries at Gulfstream include a win via disqualification in the Mucho Macho Man and a third in the Mr. Prospector (G3) in 2023 and a second in the 2024 Sir Shackleton; Classify, a last-out third in the Jan. 18 Sunshine Sprint; and stakes-placed Caramel Chip.
