Speak Easy to Launch Comeback Saturday at Gulfstream

Pegasus Hero White Abarrio Returns to Gulfstream Worktab
Neoequos Breezes for Saturday’s G2 Fountain of Youth
Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $400,000

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL – 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.

“Unfortunate to have missed some time with him,” Pletcher said. “We were intending on running in the Fountain of Youth, but he came back with a good win. We made a pretty ambitious move to give him a try in the Allen Jerkens [and he] kind of needed some time after that race. Looks like, physically, he’s done well, and he’s put together some nice breezes working in company with Mindframe. Hopefully that has him prepared to run off the layoff.”

Also in the race are 2022 Prince of Wales and 2023 West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G3) winner Duke of Love; Into Pleasure, a winner of two straight; multiple stakes-winning 6-year-old Speaking; Dreaming of Kona, whose previous tries at Gulfstream include a win via disqualification in the Mucho Macho Man and a third in the Mr. Prospector (G3) in 2023 and a second in the 2024 Sir Shackleton; Classify, a last-out third in the Jan. 18 Sunshine Sprint; and stakes-placed Caramel Chip.

Pegasus Hero White Abarrio Returns to Gulfstream Worktab

White Abarrio returned to the Gulfstream Park worktab Sunday morning for the first time since capturing the $3 million Pegasus World Cup Invitational (G1) Jan. 25.

The 5-year-old son of Race Day breezed three furlongs in 35.58 seconds, the fastest clocking of 11 workouts recorded at the distance.

“He went really well. He went three-eighths in 35-and-change. He came out of the Pegasus really good,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said.

Joseph reported that C2 Racing Stable LLC, Prince Faisal bin Khaled bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, and Antonio Pagnano’s star will race next in the $150,000 Ghostzapper (G3) on the undercard of the $1 million Curlin Florida Derby (G1) at Gulfstream March 29

Neoequos Breezes for Saturday’s G2 Fountain of Youth

Ian Parsard, Shining Stable LLC and Stefania Farms LLC’s Neoequos breezed a half mile in 50.28 seconds at Gulfstream Park Sunday morning in preparation for Saturday’s $415,000 Fountain of Youth (G2). The workout didn’t exactly go according to plan.

“He was supposed to work in company and the riders messed it up,” trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said. “He ended up working by himself.”

Neoequos, who finished second behind undefeated Rated by Merit in the first two legs of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes before missing the final due to sickness, made an impressive 2025 debut, capturing a six-furlong optional claiming allowance for state-breds by five lengths.

“The question is the two turns. He’s never gone two turns. If he can get the distance, I think he has a very good chance,” Joseph said.

Things went more smoothly for C2 Racing Stable LLC and Mathis Stable LLC’s The Queen’s M G’s four-furlong breeze in 49.91 seconds in preparation for Saturday’s $200,000 Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale (G2).

“She breezed by herself and went well. She should move forward from her last race,” Joseph said.

The Queen’s M G, who captured the Schuylerville and the Adirondack (G3) at Saratoga last summer, finished third in the Feb. 1 Forward Gal (G3) in her 3-year-old debut.

Godolphin’s Sovereignty tuned up for his 2025 debut in the Fountain of Youth with a half-mile breeze in 50 seconds at Payson Park Sunday morning.

The son of Into Mischief, who is trained by Hall of Famer Bill Mott, broke his maiden by five lengths in the Oct. 27 Street Sense (G3) at Churchill Downs in his 2-year-old finale.

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 Jackpot Pool Estimated at $400,000

The 20-cent Rainbow 6 went unsolved Sunday for the sixth racing day following A Feb. 15 mandatory payout that yielded multiple jackpot payoffs of $164,292.76.

The popular multi-race wager’s jackpot pool is expected to grow to an estimated $400,000 Wednesday, when first-race post time is set for 12:50 p.m.

Wednesday’s Rainbow 6 sequence will span Races 4-9, featuring an optional claiming starter allowance in Race 8, in which Carlos Perez-trained Morgan Point will seek to return to the winner’s circle after his three-race winning streak was snapped last time out.

Who’s Hot: Rajiv Maragh rode a pair of winners, scoring aboard Drop the Hammer ($30.40) in Race 2 and Ensign Parker ($14.60) in Race 5.

Edgard Zayas doubled aboard Roar of the Beast ($6) in Race 1 and Not Guilty ($18) in Race 6. Luis Saez snagged back-to-back wins aboard Chaplin ($14) in Race 8 and Rookie Card ($5.40) in Race 9.