‘Speaker’ Aims to Scale Platform in ‘Smith’

Phipps Stable homebred Mr Speaker (Pulpit), victorious in the inaugural 2014 GI Belmont Derby Invitational S., is the lone Grade I winner in Aqueduct’s Nov. 14 GIII Red Smith H. for the distance-loving turf brigade. The 4-year-old regained the winning thread after four off-the-board efforts since that run with an optional claiming score back over the Belmont course July 15. Fourth in the GII Sky Classic S. at Woodbine Aug. 16, the Shug McGaughey trainee bounced back with a 1 1/4-length tally in the GII Commonwealth Cup at Laurel Sept. 19 and finished full of zest to be third, four spots better than 2015 GI Man o’ War S. second War Dancer (War Front) in Belmont’s GIII Knickerbocker H., warming up for this Oct. 10. Kaigun (Northern Afleet), who hit the board twice at the highest level in 2014, ended that season with a win in the GII Seabiscuit H. at Del Mar and, despite a winless 2015, has brought home a check every time he faced the starter. No match for GI Breeders’ Cup Mile runner-up Mondialiste (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) when fourth in the GI Ricoh Woodbine Mile in yielding conditions Sept. 13, the 5-year-old enters this with another fourth, after briefly leading, in the GI Pattison Canadian International S. Oct. 18. Holiday Star (Harlan’s Holiday) will be aiming to make it back-to-back wins for Augustin Stables and Graham Motion after landing consecutive editions of the GIII Sycamore S. at Keeneland, with GISP Charming Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) in second and St. Alban’s Boy (Giant’s Causeway) completing the trifecta Oct. 15.