Speak Easy confirmed for Saturday’s G2 Fountain of Youth
At 0h05, on March 1, 2024 • By GULFSTREAM
Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher confirmed Thursday that WinStar Farm LLC and Siena Farm LLC’s Speak Easy will be withdrawn from an optional claiming allowance on Friday’s program in favor of a highly anticipated run in Saturday’s $400,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2) at Gulfstream Park.
Speak Easy, who drew the rail post position for the Fountain of Youth, will face eight other 3-year-olds in the 1 1/16-mile prep for the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) (March 30) while following a brilliant debut victory Jan. 27 at Gulfstream. The son of Constitution pressed the early pace before drawing clear to win the seven-furlong maiden special weight race by 1 ¾ lengths in a sharp 1:21.96.
“We like the post and the way he’s been training,” Pletcher said.
Speak Easy was installed as the 3-5 morning-line favorite in a field of seven 3-year-olds entered in Friday’s 1 1/8-mile optional claiming allowance carded as Race 7 on a nine-race program. Courtlandt Farms’ Conquest Warrior is expected to be favored in Speak Easy’s absence. The son of City of Light, who is trained by Hall of Famer Shug McGaughey, is coming off a gutsy a victory in a Jan. 13 maiden special weight race, in which he produced an impressive rally after being pinched at the start and steadied in traffic.
Irad Ortiz Jr., who was slated to ride Speak Easy in the Friday optional claiming allowance, will have the return mount in the Fountain of Youth.
