By Steve Sherack
In this continuing series, TDN's Senior Racing Editor Steve Sherack catches up with the connections of promising maidens to keep on your radar.
Colloquial (c, 2, Vekoma–Terminology, by Bernardini), sidelined since finishing a fast-closing and big-figure second behind Mentee (City of Light) on debut at Aqueduct in June, is nearing a return to the races.
Off at odds of 4-1 in his unveiling for George Weaver, the chestnut was urged along by Manny Franco and chased from an inside third as the aforementioned full-brother to champion and 'TDN Rising Star' Fierceness sped off through an opening quarter in :22.37.
Climbing while racing behind horses, Colloquial was tipped out into the clear approaching the quarter pole and set his sights on the pacesetter, who kicked for home with authority.
Mentee opened a five-length advantage in the stretch and looked long gone, but Colloquial was just getting started. He leveled off beautifully from there and rocketed home in a field-best :11.31 to come up just a nose short.
#1A Mentee wins on debut in gate-to-wire fashion, holding off a fast-closing Colloquial, in the seventh race at Aqueduct for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner @RepoleStable! ??@ljlmvel was aboard.
?? #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/M9Ns5EqNTE
— TwinSpires Racing ?? (@TwinSpires) June 15, 2024
Mentee, the subsequent winner of the grassy GIII Futurity Stakes, stopped the timer in :56.97, which established a new track record for five furlongs at the Big A. Both Mentee and Colloquial received matching 88 Beyer Speed Figures.
Colloquial, a $240,000 Keeneland September graduate, is campaigned in partnership by Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing. He's posted a pair of breezes at Weaver's Palm Beach Downs base since returning to the worktab, including a three-furlong move in :38.22 (1/3) Dec. 7.
“We were pretty excited about him before he ran,” Weaver said. “He was showing us some good signs in his training and acted like he had some ability. He went over there in his debut and ran huge. He was running strong through the wire and galloped out well. He got beat by a horse of some quality.”
Weaver continued, “The horse ended up needing some time off, just typical racehorse stuff. He's on a schedule that should see him ready the second half of January if everything goes well.”
Weaver added, “He's come back great and we have big expectations.”
Vekoma & George Weaver (far right) head to the winner's circle following Keeneland's GII Blue Grass Stakes in 2019 | EquiSport Photos
Colloquial, bred in Kentucky by Michael and J.B. Orem, hails from the first crop of the very promising Spendthrift Farm stallion and Weaver-trained Vekoma, who is already responsible for 39 individual winners and a quartet of black-type winners, led by GIII Iroquois Stakes winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Jonathan's Way. Colloquial was produced by the John Oxley-bred, two-time winner Terminology. His third dam is Oxley's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Gal in a Ruckus.
Does Colloquial remind Weaver of his 2019 GII Blue Grass Stakes winner and 2020 GI Met Mile winner?
“He does,” Weaver replied. “He's kinda got the same facial expressions and he's a chestnut, which obviously makes him somewhat look like Vekoma. We've been delighted with him. I've had the pleasure of training quite a few of them (by Vekoma) and broken quite a few of their maidens, and gotten some stakes placings. He was a star in our barn. We don't get a lot of horses come along as good as him. We were grateful that we were able to put together a resume that he was very deserving of.”
The 'Second Chances' Honor Roll is headed by Horse of the Year Cody's Wish (Curlin), fellow two-time Breeders' Cup winner Golden Pal (Uncle Mo) and GISWs A Mo Reay (Uncle Mo), Honor A. P. (Honor Code), Locked (Gun Runner), Paradise Woods (Union Rags) and Speaker's Corner (Street Sense).
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