Fred Hooper Rematch in Gulfstream Park Mile

Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) and Fearless (Ghostzapper), one-two across the line in the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. Jan. 29, face off again in Saturday's GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S.

The highly regarded Godolphin homebred Speaker's Corner, second after setting the pace in the 1 1/8-mile Discovery S. at Aqueduct Nov. 27, turned back to a mile with a sharp, wire-to-wire tally under an aggressive ride from Junior Alvarado in the Hooper.

Fearless, four of six with two seconds in Hallandale, rallied from last of eight to finish a good second as the favorite in the Hooper. He previously posted a smart decision in the local GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Dec. 18.

“He's doing well. He usually does well here. He should be sitting on a big race,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “I wish it were a little further, but it's the option we have.”

Trainer Saffie Joseph, Jr. will saddle the trio of impressive Jan. 7 optional claiming comeback winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Collaborate (Into Mischief), last out Hudson H. Oct. 30 winner Ny Traffic (Cross Traffic) and Hooper fourth Girolamo's Attack (Girolamo).

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Encore Performance?

The highly regarded Performer (Speightstown), a hard-fought neck winner over Eye of a Jedi (Eye of the Leopard) in the GIII Fred W. Hooper S. Jan. 23, will look for his second straight tally over track and trip in Saturday's GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. The 2019 GIII Discovery S. winner was a disappointing third as the 4-5 favorite in the slop in the GI Cigar Mile H. two starts back Dec. 5.

“He gutted it out pretty good,” trainer Shug McGaughey said of Performer's Hooper win. “He was down on the inside. Joel [Rosario] looked up and saw those horses on the lead were going easy, so that's when he eased him to the outside. I don't think it killed him to win, but that horse that finished second is a pretty darn horse.”

Tax (Arch), a good second as the favorite behind Performer in the Discovery during his 3-year-old campaign, returned from the shelf with a razor sharp, front-running victory over the aforementioned Eye of a Jedi in the local GIII Harlan's Holiday S. Dec. 12, good for a gaudy 105 Beyer Speed Figure. The 2019 GII Jim Dandy S. and GIII Withers S. winner, however, failed to build on that effort in his next start, reporting home a disappointing 10th at 5-1 in the GI Pegasus World Cup Invitational S. Jan. 23. Trainer Danny Gargan adds blinkers for this cutback to one turn.

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