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Racing ‘Rookie’ Speaker’s Corner Ready To Step Up In Pennsylvania Derby

The rookie of the Pennsylvania Derby, experience wise, is Godolphin Racing's Speaker's Corner.

When the son of Street Sense enters the starting gate for the Grade 1, $1 million race, it will be just the fourth start for Speaker's Corner and second this year. All of the eight other runners have more race day experience.

Of the other Derby runners, two of them – I Am Redeemed and Americanrevolution – will be making the Pennsylvania Derby their fifth career start.

The lack of seasoning might be cause for concern to those who like Speaker's Corner, but that anxiety should dissipate when you see who is training him. Hall of Famer Bill Mott is not sending Speaker's Corner to Parx because he wants to load up on Philly Cheese Steaks.

Speaker's Corner's highly anticipated return to the races came Aug. 14 at Saratoga in an allowance, a seven-furlong race he won easily by 5 ¼ lengths.

“It was everything we expected and a little bit more,” Mott said. “I was happy with it, for sure. I wasn't sure if the seven-eighths would be enough ground for him. I thought they would run him off his feet a little bit early in the race.”

That didn't happen. The talent the colt showed as a 2-year-old was still there despite a long layoff. He broke his maiden in his second start last October at Belmont and some of the horses he beat that day included Caddo River, Greatest Honour, Miles D and Pennsylvania Derby rival Bourbonic.

After that, an ankle injury put him on the equine disabled list for a while and a spring-time virus that went through Mott's barn delayed his return even longer.

It was worth the wait. Mott is asking him to take a gigantic step forward as he tries graded stakes company for the first time.

“We have always felt we belonged with this group,” Mott said. “We have the one race under our belt and it's working out well.”

Speaker's Corner, who will be ridden by Jose Ortiz, is 12-1 on the Derby morning line.

Mott will also saddle Juddmonte's Obligatory in the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion. The daughter of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin finished fifth in the Grade 1 Test at Saratoga in her last start on Aug. 7.

“The big thing about her is that it is a two-turn test,” Mott said about the 1 1/16-mile Cotillion.

“We know she's quite effective at seven-eighths and a flat mile at one turn. This is a bit of a fact-finding mission for us to figure out if the configuration of the race is going to suit her. We'll see.”

Ortiz also has the mount on Obligatory, who is 10-1 on the Cotillion morning line.

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Outfoxed The Star Attraction In Saturday’s Florida Sire Series My Dear Girl

Anticipation for Outfoxed's next start began building the very instant the Bill Mott-trained filly crossed the finish line 13 ½ lengths clear of her competition in her FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series debut Aug. 28 at Gulfstream Park

The visually stunning and utterly dominating manner in which she graduated in the $200,000 Susan's Girl immediately raised the question: What could LNJ Foxwoods' 2-year-old filly possibly do for an encore?

The question is about to be answered.

Outfoxed is scheduled to make her highly anticipated return to action in Saturday's $400,000 My Dear Girl at Gulfstream Park, where the 1 1/16-mile FSS finale for juvenile fillies will co-headline Saturday's program with the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile open division FSS finale.

The Florida-bred filly, who was purchased for $360,000 at the OBS April 2-year-olds-in-training sale, looked like a bargain buy while making her second career start in the seven-furlong second leg of the lucrative series for juveniles sired by accredited Florida stallions.

After taking some coaxing to load into the gate, Outfoxed settled off the pace under Edgard Zayas before making an eye-catching five-wide sweep on the turn into the stretch and drawing off with complete authority. She ran seven furlongs in 1:23.81, more than a second faster than it took Octane to complete the distance of the FSS Affirmed against colts and geldings two races later.

Did the manner in which she overwhelmed her 10 rivals in the Susan's Girl prompt her connections to consider bypassing the My Dear Girl in favor of running her in a graded stakes elsewhere?

“We never really discussed it,” Mott said. “Everyone agreed we'd take advantage of the races available to her. She's eligible for these spots, and that's what was decided.”

It would have been understandable if Outfoxed's connections had decided to run her in a graded-stakes, considering that she entered the Susan's Girl off a late-closing third-place finish behind Echo Zulu in a Saratoga maiden special weight race. Echo Zulu went on to win the Spinaway (G1) in her next start.

“We liked her first race at Saratoga,” Mott said. “Even though she didn't win, she closed well.”

Could her dazzling graduation in the Susan's Girl have come a bit too easy for Outfoxed with reference to her preparedness for the My Dear Girl?

“Obviously, you don't know how she's going to do but, if it's the same group, I figure she did enough [last time],” Mott said. “A lot of times, you can be confused. It looks like they're doing it easy, but they still have to run.”

Gulfstream-based trainer Ralph Nicks, a former Mott assistant, has been overseeing Outfoxed's preparation for her return.

“She's had a couple works. She had a decent work the other day [with Ralph],” Mott said. “The first one was pretty easy, but she had a pretty good one the other day.”

Even at her very best, Outfoxed will need to prove she can reproduce the brilliance she showed in the Susan's Girl in a two-turn race such as the My Dear Girl.

“I'm not worried too much. It looks like it shouldn't be too much of a problem the way she ran the other day, but they always have to do it,” Mott said. “But she went seven-eighths the other day and she went pretty well.”

Outfoxed is the first winner for her first-crop sire Valiant Minister, a $680,000 son of Candy Ride who retired from racing after winning his six-furlong debut at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert in January 2017.

Zayas has the return call on Outfoxed, who drew the No. 1 post position.

Champion Equine LLC's My Sassenach, who was victorious in the first leg of the Florida Sire Stakes series, will seek to improve on a distant third-place finish in the Susan's Girl Saturday. The David Braddy-trained daughter of Uncaptured raced in traffic before closing to finish third in the Susan's Girl.

My Sassenach graduated in the six-furlong FSS Desert Vixen, shaking off a bumping incident at the start before romping to an 8 ¼-length triumph.

Miguel Vasquez has the return call on the filly who finished second in her debut prior to entering the FSS series.

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Chacalosa will be the new FSS face Saturday while making her Gulfstream debut off an open-stakes victory in the Arlington Lassie. The daughter of Jess's Dream graduated with a late-closing 36-1 upset victory in the seven-furlong sprint over Arlington Park's synthetic surface for owner/trainer Earl Hughes. The Florida-bred filly, who was winless in her two previous career starts, is scheduled to make her debut for Arlington Park's leading trainer Larry Rivelli in the My Dear Girl.

Emisael Jaramillo is slated to ride the Arlington invader for the first time Saturday.

Trainer Daniel Pita's Devilette, who set the pace before being overwhelmed by Outfoxed, will seek to improve on her second-place finish while trying two turns for the first time.

Pita, who saddled Princess Secret for a victory in last year's My Dear Girl, has awarded the return mount aboard Khozan-sired Devilette to Cristian Torres.

Trainer Michael Yate's Cajun Cousin is scheduled to make her stakes debut in the My Dear Girl following a second-place finish in an optional claiming allowance at Gulfstream.

“She's training fabulous. She has had three sprint races. She broke her maiden for a tag and came back in an A-other-than and finished second,” Yates said. “We thought the [Susan's Girl] was too quick back. We just wanted to train up to the mile-and-a-sixteenth and see what happens.”

Jesus Rios has the call aboard the daughter of Cajun Breeze.

Trainer Roger Laurin's Veiled Prophet, who finished fifth in the Susan's Girl, enters the My Dear Girl off a second-place maiden special weight finish. The daughter of Uncaptured had previously finished second in her first two career starts prior to her off-the-board finish in the second FSS leg.

Luca Panici has the mount.

Wendell Yates and Ronald Brown's Sequin Lady, who is winless in two starts, and Arindel's Baby Blue, a three-race maiden, round out the field.

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Obligatory Will Attempt ‘Two-Turn Test’ For Mott In Cotillion

The stage has been set for Saturday's 52nd Running of the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion Stakes as nine fillies will contest the one and one sixteenth miles on the main track at Parx Racing, Bensalem, Pa.

Juddmonte's Obligatory will make her seventh career start and third consecutive Grade 1 try on Saturday for Hall of Fame Trainer Bill Mott. The filly by Curlin fell short by a half-length to Search Results in the Acorn at Belmont Park then finished fifth in the Test at Saratoga in her last start on August 7.

“The big thing for her is that it is a two-turn test,” Mott said. “We had only one two-turn race when she was quite inexperienced. She was not effective that day because of her inexperience. We're hoping she got more races under her belt. We know she's quite effective at seven-eighths and a flat mile at one turn. It's an experiment for us. I know it's a big race and she's doing well. I think she competes with those horses at a flat mile or a one-turn race. We have to see how she gets along at two turns.”

Previously, the Kentucky-bred filly began her career in the fall at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old and finished fourth. She then returned to break her maiden in her first start as a sophomore and followed up with a fourth-place finish in the Fair Grounds Oaks on March 20. Her strongest performance came in the Grade 2 Eight Belles at Churchill Downs on April 30, when she closed from last to win by a length at odds of 16 to 1.

Obligatory will break from the rail under regular rider Jose Ortiz at odds of 10 to 1.

Baoma Corporation's Private Mission will ship east from her Del Mar, California home and come to Parx in search of her third straight victory after winning against allowance company at Santa Anita then besting six others in the Grade 3 Torrey Pines Stakes at Del Mar.

The filly by Into Mischief has been training well towards Saturday according to Hall of Fame Trainer Bob Baffert and will break from post seven under Flavien Prat.

“We will figure out a plan on game day,” Baffert said. “I think seven is ok. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn't.”

Private Mission is 9 to 2 on the morning line.

Rounding out the field is: Allworthy from post 2 for trainer Joseph Saffie Jr., and jockey Florent Geroux at odds of 12 to 1. Will's Secret will break from post 3 for trainer Dallas Stewart and jockey Jon Court at 12 to 1. Maracuja drew post 4 for trainer Rob Atras and jockey Kendrick Carmouche at 8 to 1. Army Wife will run from post 5 for trainer Michael Maker and will be ridden by Joel Rosario at odds of 7 to 2. Clairiere runs from post 6 for Hall of Fame Trainer Steve Asmussen and will be piloted by Irad Ortiz Jr at 2 to 1. Always Carina trained by Chad Brown breaks from post 8 and will be ridden by Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez at odds of 6 to 1. Leader of the Band obtained post 9 for trainer John Servis and retains rider Frankie Pennington at 12 to 1.

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Florida Sire Series Wraps Up With My Dear Girl, In Reality Saturday At Gulfstream

The $1.4 million FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes series will wrap up Saturday at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach, Fla., with the $400,000 My Dear Girl, a 1 1/16-mile stakes for fillies, and the $400,000 In Reality, the 1 1/16-mile open division.

The FSS series finals for 2-year-olds sired accredited Florida stallions will be supported on Saturday's program by the $125,000 FSS Wildcat Heir, a mile stakes for 3-year-olds and up sired by accredited Florida Stallions, and the $100,000 Hollywood Beach, a five-furlong turf sprint for 2-year-olds.

LNJ Foxwoods' Outfoxed, a breathtaking 13 ½-length winner of the $200,000 FSS Susan's Girl Aug. 28 at Gulfstream, is the star attraction in the My Dear Girl. The Bill Mott-trained daughter of Valiant Minister has subsequently had a pair of half-mile breezes at Gulfstream.

Outfoxed broke her maiden in the seven-furlong Susan's Girl while coming off a third-place finish behind Echo Zulu in a Saratoga maiden special weight race July 15. Echo Zulu came right back to capture the Sept. 5 Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga.

Stonehedge LLC's Cajun's Magic, the winner of the $100,000 FSS Dr. Fager, and Arindel's Octane, who captured the $200,000 FSS Affirmed, are slated to clash in the In Reality around two turns. Octane led throughout the Affirmed while finishing 3 ¼ lengths clear of runner-up Cajun's Magic.

Gulfstream will also host the Taste at the Track event Saturday Bourbon & BBQ. The unlimited testing event begins at 1 p.m. in the Flamingo Room. Guests will be able to enjoy a variety of southern-style dishes, paired with your favorite premium bourbons, whiskeys and handcrafted cocktails.

For tickets go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/taste-at-the-track-bourbon-bbq-tickets-165899514915

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