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Second Chances: Speaker’s Corner

In this continuing series, TDN’s Senior Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.

How much buzz was there ahead of Speaker’s Corner (c, 2, Street Sense-Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini)’s debut run on closing day at Saratoga?

Considering patient Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott’s two-for-48 record with debuting juvenile runners sprinting in dirt maiden special weights at the Spa the past five seasons (stat courtesy DRF Formulator), the Godolphin homebred was nonetheless hammered down as the 3-5 favorite facing eight rivals on the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. undercard.

The bay’s flashy worktab included a five-furlong move from the gate in :59 4/5 (3/20) Aug. 24 and a four-furlong bullet in :46 (1/109) Aug. 31, respectively.

Not off to the sharpest of beginnings from post two, Speaker’s Corner raced on the inside in some traffic and was urged along by Junior Alvarado in seventh through an opening quarter in :22.39.

Still with plenty to do approaching the quarter pole, he was tipped out off the turn for home and finished with interest down the lane to just grab third, beaten 6 3/4 lengths by good-looking second-time starter Team Merchants (Nyquist).

Speaker’s Corner earned a 59 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

Speaker’s Corner was produced by an unraced daughter of GI Breeders’ Cup Distaff heroine Round Pond (Awesome Again), a $5.75-million acquisition by Sheikh Mohammed’s operation at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

This same Street Sense over Bernardini cross is also responsible for Godolphin’s unbeaten GISW Maxfield and recent GIII Oklahoma Derby winner Shared Sense.

“As with most first-time starters, he was quite green,” Godolphin President Jimmy Bell said. “Hopefully, he got some needed racing experience and we look forward to seeing him stretch out in the not-too-distant future. He’s shown above average ability throughout most of his works. Time will tell.”

Speaker’s Corner has returned to the worktab since his unveiling with a pair of moves over the Oklahoma training track, including a five-furlong breeze in 1:02.89 (7/9) Sept. 25.

Previous standouts featured in ‘Second Chances’ include: GI Runhappy Santa Anita Derby winner Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Skidmore S. winner and Royal Ascot G2 Norfolk S. runner-up Golden Pal (Uncle Mo), MGISW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags), GSW Backyard Heaven (Tizway), MSW and ‘TDN Rising Star’ Gidu (Ire) (Frankel {GB}), MGISP Spielberg (Union Rags), GII Fasig-Tipton Fountain of Youth S. runner-up Candy Tycoon (Twirling Candy); and Del Mar Juvenile Turf S. third Ambivalent (Constitution).

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Tattersalls Autumn HIT Catalogue Features The Lir Jet

G2 Norfolk S. winner and G1 Phoenix S. bridesmaid The Lir Jet (Ire) (Prince Of Lir {Ire}) anchors the 1,617-lot Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale catalogue, which was released on Tuesday. One of more than 90 group and listed performers to be offered from Oct. 26-29, the bay is listed as lot 1071 from the consignment of Jamie Railton.

MGSP Devious Company (Ire) (Fast Company {Ire}) (lot 630) from Tom Dascombe’s Manor House Stables is another lot of note, as he is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Circumvent (GB) (Tobougg {Ire}). Alignak (GB) (Sea the Moon {Ger}) (lot 693), a listed winner and sporting an RPR rating of 110, will be sent through the ring as one of 22 from Sir Michael Stoute’s Freemason Lodge Stables. A son of the German Champion Older Mare Albanova (GB) (Alzao), he is a half-brother to GSW Algometer (GB) (Archipenko); SW Alwilda (GB) (Hernando {Fr}), the dam of SW & G1SP Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}); and MSW All at Sea (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).

The ever popular Juddmonte draft of 26 features the listed-placed Emissary (GB) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 1126), a half-brother to European highweight and MG1SW Workforce (GB) (King’s Best). Ballydoyle has a quartet of GSWs amongst its consignment of 47 in the forms of: G1 Phoenix S. third and G2 July S. victor Royal Lytham (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) (lot 289); G2 Ballysax S. scorer Nobel Prize (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) (lot 714); lot 713, two-time group winner Royal Dornoch (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}); and G3 Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial S. hero Cormorant (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) (lot 717).

The largest consignment in the sale is Shadwell with 97, among them 18 horses rated over 95 by Timeform. The Castlebridge Consignment fields 81 and 69 will go through the ring from trainer Richard Hannon’s East Everleigh operation. Other large consignments belong to Mark Johnston’s Kingsley Park (64), Richard Fahey’s Musley Bank (46), Roger Varian’s Carlburg Stables (35), and Andrew Balding’s Park House Stables (34).

In 2019, 985 horses sold for a gross of 25,393,400gns. The average was 25,780gns and the median was 12,000gns. Topping the sale was the 625,000gns Summer Sands (GB) (Coach House {Ire}) to Joseph O’Brien.

“The unique diversity of the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale is the key to its enduring appeal to both domestic and international buyers,” said Tattersalls Chairman Edmond Mahony. “Every year the sale produces top-class Flat and National Hunt performers and this year’s catalogue has all the ingredients to appeal to the customary global audience. We have already seen our live internet and telephone bidding facilities widely embraced, particularly at the recent July and August Sales, and we will continue to explore every possible avenue for buyers to participate at all of our sales despite the prevailing challenges.”

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Fall Steeplechase Schedule, Starting Oct. 4, to Be Livestreamed

The National Steeplechase Association (NSA) announced Tuesday that the fall season’s first sanctioned race meet, The Foxfield Fall Races, will take place Sunday, Oct. 4 in Charlottesville, VA. While the races will run without spectators and under strict health and safety protocols, the NSA will livestream the races, feature commentary from the industry’s experts and strong competition by steeplechasing’s top horsemen.

In making the announcement, NSA President Al Griffin said, “This year has provided plenty of challenges for our sport, yet we continue to persevere. Despite the onerous regulations and protocols, we were able to run all of our races at Saratoga for the first time in a long while. We are in the process of indoctrinating a great group of young jockeys to American Steeplechasing this fall. Everyone is stepping up and making the most of our limited opportunities. Our fall live streaming opportunity is due to the generosity of our sponsors: Brown Advisory, Charleston Post and Courier Newspaper, Bruton Street (Charlie Fenwick, Charlie Noell, Mike Hankin) and The Virginia Equine Alliance. This unprecedented support will allow us all to view steeplechasing at a time when spectators are not allowed at the race meets.”

Steeplechasing enthusiasts are encouraged to livestream here at 12:30 p.m. EST. The races offer opportunities for a broad swath of the steeplechase community’s horses in training.

The Foxfield Fall Races will feature seven races with the sport’s prominent owner/trainer/jockey teams in the field. Although the races will be run without spectators, NSA owners and other essential horsemen and officials will be allowed on the property.

For more information about the National Steeplechase Association and the fall schedule, click here.

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Rouget Duo in Good Form for Arc

White Birch Farm’s MG1SW Sottsass (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) and Shadwell’s GSW Raabihah (Sea The Stars {Ire}) worked in tandem at Deauville in advance of the Oct. 4 G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe on Tuesday. If either delivers in the G1 Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at ParisLongchamp, it would be a first for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget. The 2019 G1 Prix du Jockey Club hero took the G1 Prix Ganay second up this term and was runner-up in the G3 Prix Gontaut-Biron at Deauville in August. Only fourth in the G1 Irish Champion S. on Sept. 12, Sottsass will attempt to go two better than a third in last year’s edition.

“Sottsass and Raabihah both worked well this morning,” Rouget told the France Galop notes team. “I’m of the opinion that Sottsass is on much better terms with himself at this stage of the season. His race in Ireland did him a power of good. He should give a good account of himself on Sunday.

“As things stand, I have [him] in the same condition as last year; so I’m rediscovering the same horse as I did in the lead up to the 2019 race. This year, I haven’t managed to get in the same condition as now owing to the racing calendar which has been perturbed by the pandemic. However, neither have I wished to go overboard, so as to ensure that that he’s a fresh horse come the Arc, which has always been his objective.

“He knows the score, having acquitted himself well in the race last season, so he has the right to be concerned at the finish again. I share the opinion that he hasn’t shown the required level of form to win the Arc this season, but I believe that he will run well and finish in the first three.”

A winner when unveiled in January, Raabihah added the Listed Prix de la Seine in May and, although only fourth in the G1 Prix de Diane on July 5, bounced back with a win in the G3 Prix de Psyche. She was second in the Sept. 13 G1 Prix Vermeille at ParisLongchamp, her first attempt at the Arc distance.

Added Rouget, “Raabihah is similarly in peak condition. Our only question mark is the ground. This isn’t in the sense that she would be inconvenienced by a heavy track; for we simply don’t know as she has yet to tackle very soft conditions.”

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