Gulfstream: 3-year-old Speak Easy impresses on debut

Speak Easy, a 3-year-old colt trained by Todd Pletcher, won Saturday's second race at Gulfstream, a high-class maiden special weight sprint for sophomores. Bettors dismissed him at 8-1 post-time odds compared to his 4-1 morning line, but the colt overcame his rail draw and left no doubt who was best.

In 2023, an early-card maiden race on Pegasus World Cup day at the same distance went on to produce the Kentucky Derby winner. Mage debuted in a seven-furlong sprint at Gulfstream on Jan. 28, 2023. He went on to finish second in the Florida Derby (G1) and first in the run for the roses for trainer Gustavo Delgado, whose horse Victory Avenue was the beaten 3-2 favorite in Speak Easy's win on Saturday.

Breaking from the rail on debut, Speak Easy was soon near the lead, and angled off the rail to press the pace outside of Victory Avenue through fractions of 22.64 seconds for the opening quarter and 44.61 for the half.

Speak Easy reached even terms with Victory Avenue near the five sixteenths. The pair vied on the pace undil the furlong mark, from which point he edged clear under jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Speak Easy stopped the clock in 1:21.96 for seven furlongs on fast Gulfstream dirt.

Speak Easy paid his backers $18.60 to win. Victory Avenue kept on for second under jockey Luis Saez. Big City, ridden by Frankie Dettori for Jose D'Angelo, chased on a clear third, another 3 3/4 lengths behind the second-place finisher.

“This colt had been training very well. 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,” Pletcher said, according to a release from Gulfstream Park. “He broke alertly and was able to move outside the favorite. They were rolling right along. I don’t know how fast the track is today, but 1:21 and four is a pretty good debut time no matter how the track is playing.”

A son of Constitution out of the Harlan's Holiday mare Fun, Speak Easy was bred by WinStar Farm. He is owned in partnership by his breeder and Siena Farm. Constitution broke his maiden on debut for Pletcher in January of 2014 and went on to win the Florida Derby. He also won the Donn Handicap (G1) the next year for Pletcher, the race that has since been replaced by the Pegasus World Cup (G1). Fun finished third behind Dancing Rags in the 2016 Alcibiades (G1), and has produced stakes winner Home Run Maker by Into Mischief.