Saturday, Keeneland
COOLMORE LEXINGTON S.-GIII, $200,000, KEE, 4-19, 3yo, 1 1/16m (AWT), 1:44, ft.
1–MR SPEAKER, 120, c, 3, by Pulpit
1st Dam: Salute (MGSP, $103,838), by Unbridled
2nd Dam: Personal Ensign, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Grecian Banner, by Hoist the Flag
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III;
J-Jose Lezcano. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-1,
$269,880. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Divine Oath, 118, c, 3, Broken Vow–Rejoicing, by
Forestry. ($200,000 yrl '12 KEESEP). O-Let's Go
Stable; B-Sanford R Robertson (KY); T-Todd A
Pletcher. $40,000.
3–Supermonic, 118, c, 3, Latent Heat–Mesabu, by
Fred Astaire. ($37,000 yrl '12 KEESEP; $150,000
2yo '13 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners;
B-Highclere Inc & Springtown Show Station (PA);
T-Todd A Pletcher. $20,000.
Margins: 4, HD, 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 2.90, 4.30.
Also Ran: Ami's Holiday, Solitary Ranger, Poker Player, Z Lucky, Ride Away. Scratched: Dynamic Impact, Global Strike, Morning Calm. Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. VIDEO.
Mr Speaker announced his presence with a powerful win in Gulfstream's grassy GIII Dania Beach S. Dec. 21. He failed to handle the dirt when a well-beaten seventh in the GII Holy Bull S. Jan. 25, then returned to the green stuff with a troubled second in the GIII Palm Beach S. in Hallandale last time Mar. 1. Slightly favored in his first attempt over the Polytrack here, the Phipps homebred saved ground from his rail draw. Placed just behind the leaders in a perfect spot in third through a half mile in :48.07, he awaited racing room on the far turn. Swung out three deep by Jose Lezcano shortly thereafter, Mr Speaker pounced once clear en route to a dominating victory. “I thought Jose [Lezcano] rode a great race on him,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “He had him in the slot the whole way there and was just kind of waiting. I saw him reach up and grab him again around the 4 1/2 [furlong] pole, and I thought, 'Well, he's got a lot of horse. We'll just see what happens when the running starts.'” McGaughey continued, “This horse we've been high on. I brought him here with the idea of running in the Blue Grass, but when it came up a big field I decided not to. We ran him on the dirt one time, and I don't think that was a true indication of his dirt form. I think he probably will handle the dirt. So I think one of these days we'll try him again, but it's not going to be in two weeks [in the GI Kentucky Derby].” The winner, who is bred on the exact same cross as top sire Tapit, is out of a half-sister to the recently deceased My Flag (Easy Goer).
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