Mr Speaker Back to Winning Ways at Belmont

7th-BEL, $102,000, Alw (C), Opt. Clm ($100,000), 7-15, 3yo/up, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.74, gd.
MR SPEAKER (c, 4, Pulpit–Salute {MGSP, $103,838}, by Unbridled) proved a versatile sort at three, winning the GIII Coolmore Lexington S. over the Keeneland Poly before springing a 23-1 surprise in the GI Belmont Derby two starts later, defeating subsequent GI Secretariat S. and G1 Cox Plate hero Adelaide (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in the process. Far from embarrassed when a midpack fifth in the GI Travers S. Aug. 23, the homebred failed to handle deep ground in the GIII Hill Prince S. Oct. 4 and called it a season off a sixth-place effort. He resumed with a fourth to Grand Arch (Arch) in a salty Keeneland allowance test Apr. 15 and was last seen finishing a disappointing seventh in the GIII Fort Marcy S. at this venue May 2. Ridden positively by Javier Castellano, Mr Speaker found himself closer to the slow pace established by chief market rival Chamois (Smart Strike) and sat just off that one's flank to the head of the lane. Chamois did his best, but Mr Speaker claimed him with relative ease at the furlong grounds and fired home neatly to take it by 2 1/2 lengths. “He was a little closer to the pace, but he was there the right way and he finished up strong,” winning trainer Shug McGaughey commented. “[Javier Castellano] said at the quarter-pole when he asked him a little bit, he sort of jumped right into it. So hopefully, we'll go ahead now. I'm just glad to get a win under his belt–it's been a year.” Mr Speaker's second dam is the immortal Personal Ensign. Lifetime Record: GISW, 14-5-1-1, $1,063,880. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
O/B-Phipps Stable (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.