Tag: Speak Easy

Curlin’s Corporate Power Game at Second Asking in Gulfstream Maiden Win

4th-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 2-24, 3yo, 1 1/8m, 1:51.08, ft, neck.
CORPORATE POWER (c, 3, Curlin–Road to Victory {GSW-USA, SW-Can, $248,336}, by Quality Road), featured in Steve Sherack's 'Second Chances' series following a useful debut fourth-place finish behind the promising duo of Speak Easy (Constitution) and Victory Avenue (Arrogate) after getting bumped at the break going seven furlongs in a very live maiden special weight going seven furlongs on the Pegasus World Cup undercard Jan. 27, delivered as the 6-5 favorite in thrilling fashion here.

Stretching out to 1 1/8 miles, the $925,000 KEESEP yearling broke in and brushed with Batten Down (Tapit), a son of champion Close Hatches (First Defence) who was a debut sixth in that same heat, leaving the stalls. Ridden along in fourth by Javier Castellano rounding the clubhouse turn, Corporate Power was encouraged to keep pace while in that same position as Batten Down showed the way through a half mile in :47.86.

Corporate Power loomed up with a nice move while three deep on the far turn, but Batten Down was going the much easier of the two and Paco Lopez let it out a notch as they turned for home. Batten Down looked well on his way in the stretch, but Corporate Power wasn't done yet despite racing greenly and attempting to lug in repeatedly.

Corporate Power and Sturdy (Mitole) both began to lift as Batten Down tired late. Corporate Power, much more focused racing in between horses now, seemed to want it the most of the trio and was able to eke out a neck victory over Batten Down in a blanket finish. It was another neck back to Sturdy in third.

Corporate Power's dam Road to Victory, a winner of her first three career starts at two, highlighted by a neck victory over subsequent two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GII Golden Rod S., brought $1.45 million from breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Road to Victory produced a colt by Into Mischief in 2023 and a filly by Not This Time this year.

Sales history: $925,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-0, $44,800. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Courtlandt Farms (Donald Adam); B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

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Second Chances: ‘It’s All Systems Go to a Two-Turn Spot’ For Pricey Son of Curlin Corporate Power

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

In a race completely dominated on the front end, Corporate Power (c, 3, Curlin–Road to Victory, by Quality Road) stamped himself as one to watch finishing with interest for fourth in an absolutely stacked maiden special weight on the Pegasus World Cup undercard at Gulfstream Park Jan. 27.

Out of the blocks last of 11 at debut odds of 17-1 for Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, the Courtlandt Farms colorbearer bumped into a rival at the start and was quickly outsprinted while under a ride by Javier Castellano.

Three from the back marker and taking plenty of dirt as the highly regarded firster from the Gustavo Delgado barn Victory Avenue (Arrogate) and the Todd Pletcher-trained newcomer Speak Easy (Constitution) sped through a half mile in :44.61, Corporate Power finally entered the picture advancing along the rail as they approached the top of the stretch.

He continued to make steady progress racing along the fence as Speak Easy kicked clear from the aforementioned 3-2 favorite an eighth of a mile from home.

Corporate Power, sporting a white shadow roll, was steered out by Castellano to avoid a tiring rival close to home and kept his mind on business from there–his gallop out past the winner on the clubhouse turn is worth a view of the replay alone–after splitting horses to cross the line 8 1/4 lengths adrift Speak Easy.

Corporate Power reported home fourth behind Speak Easy in a live maiden special weight on Pegasus World Cup day | Coglianese

Speak Easy, the recipient of a 100 Beyer Speed Figure, defeated Victory Avenue by 1 3/4 lengths at odds of 8-1. It was another 3 3/4 lengths back to second-time starter Big City (City of Light), who chased the top two throughout in third. The final time for seven furlongs was a swift 1:21.96.

Corporate Power earned an 84 Beyer Speed Figure for the effort.

“Those maiden races on those big days are always loaded like that,” Courtland Farm Manager Ernie Retamoza said. “We really had a ton of regard for that colt going into the race and probably even a little more coming out of it. Javier (Castellano) was really complimentary about the way that he split horses and took some kickback and kept on and galloped out. We're super excited about him getting to two turns.”

Corporate Power's dam Road to Victory, a winner of her first three career starts at two, highlighted by a neck victory over subsequent two-time champion Monomoy Girl (Tapizar) in the GII Golden Rod S., brought $1.45 million from breeder Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings in foal to War Front at the 2019 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Corporate Power's sire the mighty Curlin is responsible for 56 graded/group winners worldwide.

Corporate Power brought $925,000 from Donald Adam's operation on day three of the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling sale. Adam purchased 11 yearlings at the auction for a total of $8.235 million.

“When we bought him, the purchase price resembles how many people liked the horse,” Retamoza said. “We had him ready to run last November–he got himself ready pretty quick–but we ended up not running him up there (in New York) and Shug (McGaughey) said, 'Let's just get him down to Florida.' We didn't run him quite as quick as we thought we might, but nonetheless, here we are and we're really happy with him.”

Corporate Power returned to the worktab with a four-furlong breeze in :50.60 (28/34) at Payson Park Feb. 11. He'll make his next start in a route, Retamoza said.

“Shug hasn't shared with us when yet, but it's all systems go to a two-turn spot,” Retamoza said. “We're all looking forward to that. It was a great effort to get him started. We're really excited about him.”

Courtlandt Farms and McGaughey also campaign fellow sophomores Change of Command (Into Mischief) ($1.05 million yrl '22 KEESEP), a disappointing 11th in last weekend's GIII Sam F. Davis S. and 'TDN Rising Star' Conquest Warrior (City of Light) ($1 million yrl '22 KEESEP), who overcame an impossible trip to graduate impressively at second asking Jan. 13. Working bullets since, the latter will make his next start in either an allowance race Feb. 29 or the GII Fountain of Youth S. Mar. 2, per Retamoza.

The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by recently crowned Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).

Tipsy Tammy (f, 3, Arrogate), featured in this same space Jan. 26, graduated impressively next out for trainer Phil Bauer at Fair Grounds Feb. 1. Godolphin homebred Cornishman (c, 3, Curlin), the subject of a Second Chances profile Feb. 7, is entered to make his second career start in a maiden special weight on Saturday's GII Risen Star S. program.

The post Second Chances: ‘It’s All Systems Go to a Two-Turn Spot’ For Pricey Son of Curlin Corporate Power appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

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Constitution’s Speak Easy A Good-Looking Debut Winner at Gulfstream

2nd-Gulfstream, $70,000, Msw, 1-27, 3yo, 7f, 1:21.96, ft, 1 3/4 lengths.
SPEAK EASY (c, 3, Constitution–Fun {GISP, $128,729}, by Harlan's Holiday), an easy-in-the-market 83-10 from a 4-1 morning line, outfought the heavily favored fellow firster Victory Avenue (Arrogate) to open his account at first asking before the clock struck noon on Pegasus Day Saturday at Gulfstream Park. The chalk, a $375,000 OBS June purchase who was bet down to 3-2 from a 5-1 morning line in the same maiden won last year by Mage (Good Magic) for the same connections, showed good early foot and led what appeared to be a well-bred group onto the track proper, but Irad Ortiz, Jr. asked Speak Easy for some speed and took the sit just off that one's flank down the backstretch. Matching motors through an opening quarter in :22.64 and a half in :44.61, the duo hit the quarter pole more or less on even terms, but it was clear that Speak Easy was going the better of the two into the stretch. Victory Avenue did not go down without a fight, but Speak Easy proved easily best in the finish, scoring by 1 3/4 lengths. The Frankie Dettori-ridden Big City (City of Light) finished a 3 3/4 lengths behind the top pair, while $925,000 KEESEP yearling Corporate Power (Curlin) got home well for fourth and galloped out past his rivals around the turn. “This colt had been training very well,” said winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “Like always, a little concerned when you draw the one-hole going seven-eighths, but he was able to work out a really good trip. He broke alertly and was able to move outside the favorite. They were rolling right along.” WinStar acquired Speak Easy's dam for $400,000 at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton tlineNovember Sale a little more than a year after she finished a strong third in the GI Darley Alcibiades S. Fun, who counts the Grade II-winning juvenile filly Ninth Inning (Meadowlake) as her second dam, is also the dam of a 2-year-old Improbable filly, a yearling colt by Twirling Candy and is due to Jack Christopher this season. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $42,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-Siena Farm LLC & WinStar Farm LLC; B-WinStar Farm LLC (KY); T-Todd A Pletcher.

 

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