Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), a perfect two-for-two to start the year, led by a dominating victory with a 106 Beyer over next-out GIII Ghostzapper S. winner Fearless (Ghostzapper) in the GII WinStar Gulfstream Park Mile S. Mar. 5, headlines Saturday's GI Carter H. at the Big A.
Always held in high regard by his connections, the Godolphin homebred has found his calling around one turn this year after concluding his sophomore season with a drifting second in the 1 1/8-mile Discovery S. here Nov. 27. Drawn widest of all in post eight, the 8-5 Carter morning-line favorite is conditioned by Hall of Famer Bill Mott.
“He showed plenty last year. We tried stretching him out, but it wasn't really what he wanted to do,” said Godolphin bloodstock director Michael Banahan. “We got him back out to one-turn miles and he was impressive in both of those. That's [one-turn contests] what it looks like he wants to do.”
Green Light Go (Hard Spun) is just a head short of a three-race winning streak since re-joining the Jimmy Jerkens barn. The narrow 2021 GIII Fall Highweight H. runner-up delivered a front-running tally in the local Stymie S. last time Feb. 26.
The MGISW 6-year-old Mind Control (Stay Thirsty), second in this race last year, posted head victories in the GII John A. Nerud S. July 4 and Parx Dirt Mile S. last out Sept. 25. He was forced to sit out the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after spiking a fever.
Rail-drawn 'TDN Rising Star' Reinvestment Risk (Upstart), runner-up in both the GI Runhappy Hopeful S. and GI Champagne S. at two, finished third in his lone start at three. He returned off a subsequent seven-month layoff with a sharp win with a career-best 103 Beyer in an optional claimer at Gulfstream Feb. 26.
Fellow 'Rising Star' First Captain (Curlin), winner of last summer's GIII Dwyer S. and third-place finisher in the Curlin S., also returned from the bench with a well-timed optional claiming victory in Hallandale Feb. 27.
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