Speechify Makes the Grade in Mr. Prospector

Barry Irwin posed for a winner’s circle picture with Speechify following Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector Stakes (G3) at Gulfstream Park, beaming over the graded-stakes achievement of his ownership group’s 4-year-old colt, who is hampered by a throat condition that doesn’t allow him to eat solid food.

“This is very rewarding,” said Irwin, founder and CEO of Team Valor International. “Every time I think of this horse, I remember the first day he went up to Fair Hill (Training Center) and we told the trainer who used to have him up there, ‘Do not put any straw in this horses stall. Put sawdust.’ He put straw and the horse nearly choked to death. We had to take him to the hospital. It was scary. It’s been a long time since then.”

Fueled by a ‘soupy mash,’ Speechify has rebounded to become a physical specimen who has steadily established himself as South Florida’s top sprinter, a status that was confirmed by his thoroughly professional and commanding performance in the six-furlong Mr. Prospector.

“He’s come a long way. He’s so straightforward. He’s a horse that enjoys what he does,” trainer Ralph Nicks said. “He’s like a good athlete; he tries to get better.”

After an alert break, Speechify was positioned in third by jockey Paco Lopez along the backstretch, a couple lengths behind pacesetter Mongolian Saturday and stalker Risk Factor. The son of Harlan’s Holiday advanced toward the leaders leaving the backstretch before being sent three-wide on the turn for home. After straightening out for the stretch run, Lopez asked the 9-5 favorite for his run, and he responded to draw away by 1 ¼ lengths without serious pressure.

“My horse was running really hard and trying really hard and when I asked him in the stretch he kept running,” Lopez said.

Speechify ran six-furlongs in 1:09.54 to post his fifth victory in eight starts. Risk Factor, the 5-2 second choice ridden by Jose Lezcano, finished second, 1 ¼ lengths ahead of Mongolian Saturday and jockey Orlando Bocachica.

Speechify made his first graded-stakes win look easy, but he still requires close attention due to issues concerning a restricted esophagus.

The Kentucky-bred colt had missed nine months due to a condylar fracture that required a screw to be inserted into his right front leg to aid in the healing process. He returned to action with an off-the-board finish in his turf debut at Gulfstream Park West on Oct. 25 before capturing the Kenny Noe Jr. Stakes by 3 ¾ lengths at the Miami Gardens track in his return to dirt on Nov. 16.

“He’s had three races close together. We’ll take our time now,” Nicks said. “Will we skip the next one (Grade 3 Gulfstream Park Sprint on Feb. 21)? We’ll let him tell us.”

Source: Gulfstream Park Communications