Speak Easy to Launch Comeback Saturday at Gulfstream
At 0h02, on February 26, 2025 • By Gulfstream Park
Siena Farm and WinStar Farm’s Speak Easy, unraced since losing for the first time in last summer’s H. Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga, will launch his comeback Saturday at Gulfstream Park on the undercard of the $415,000 Coolmore Fountain of Youth (G2).
Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, Speak Easy drew Post 3 of seven in the second-level optional claiming allowance for 4-year-olds and up sprinting seven furlongs on the main track. It is the third of 14 races on a program that begins at 11:30 a.m.
“First time off a little layoff, but he’s been training well,” Pletcher said. “He ran well in his debut at Gulfstream at this distance, so hopefully he can come back in good fashion.”
A homebred son of the Pletcher-trained 2014 Florida Derby (G1) and 2015 Donn Handicap (G1) winner Constitution, Speak Easy was a 1 ¾-length winner of his unveiling over well-regarded Victory Avenue in January 2024 on the undercard of the $3 million Pegasus World Cu Invitational (G1).
Speak Easy was entered in the Fountain of Youth but was forced to scratch when he ran off with jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. in the post parade warmup, crashing into the rail in upper stretch and suffering cuts on his legs which required stitches. He didn’t race again until a popular 2 ¼-length allowance triumph going six furlongs in July at Saratoga. The bay colt was wheeled back four weeks later in the seven-furlong Jerkens where he wound up ninth, beaten 12 ½ lengths, by Domestic Product.
Following some time off, Speak Easy returned to the worktab Christmas Eve at WinStar Training Center in Kentucky. Often paired with Belmont (G1) and Haskell (G1) runner-up Mindframe, he shows seven timed breezes since mid-January at Palm Beach Downs for his return. Ortiz gets the return call.
