Big Plans for Unbeaten Speightster

Unbeaten WinStar Farm homebred Speightster (Speightstown–Dance Swiftly, by Danzig), sidelined since having an ankle chip removed this summer, is expected to re-join Hall of Famer Bill Mott’s Florida string at Payson Park Dec. 1.

The chestnut, tabbed as a ‘TDN Rising Star’ following a sparkling seven-length graduation at first asking at Keeneland Apr. 17, followed a sharp first-level allowance victory at Belmont in early June with a 2 1/2-length decision over 2014 GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile hero Texas Red (Afleet Alex) when last seen in the GIII Dwyer S. in Elmont July 4 (video).

“He’s doing well and is in training at WinStar,” WinStar President/CEO & Racing Manager Elliott Walden commented. “The [GI] Met Mile would be the first big goal that we have on the radar with him. He showed quite a bit of talent and we’re excited to have him back in training. I think he could go two turns, too. I think after that point that we’d stretch him out.”

Speightster, produced by an unraced full-sister to Canadian Horse of the Year Dance Smartly, is a half-brother to West Coast Swing (Gone West), SW & GSP, $175,827; Paiota Falls (Kris S.), SW, $177,354; and Freestyler (Street Cry {Ire}), GSP, $298,753.

“He’s a very talented horse,” Walden concluded. “We always thought that he was. We were a little disappointed that we had to put him on the shelf, but sometimes your bad luck is your good luck.”