Speaker's Corner

6th-GP, $91K, Opt. Clm, 3yo, 1m, 3:40p.m. Godolphin's TDN Rising Star KNIGHTSBRIDGE (Nyquist), not seen since his TDN Rising Star-earning performance last fall, marks his return for trainer Bill Mott. The homebred is a half to GISW Speaker's Corner is out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini), a daughter of dual Grade I winner Round Pound, who brought $5.75 million at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky Fall Sale in 2017. Knightbridge's unraced dam is a half-sister to GISW Long River (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire}). Junior Alvarado gets the...

The TDN's popular annual series 'Mating Plans, presented by Spendthrift,' continues today in a conversation with Erin Fisher of Harper Ridge Thoroughbreds. "We have been working on upgrading our bloodstock over the last several years with a focus on good-running mares that might not have a Kentucky commercial pedigree up front, but still have the ability to create excellent racehorses and future stallion prospects. If you look at the current stallions in Kentucky, you will see that around half are out of mares with non -commercial Kentucky sires. My personal...

Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), who stands at Godolphin's Darley division in Lexington, Kentucky, sired a filly Jan. 18--his first reported foal--for breeder Airdrie Stud, the stallion's farm said in a release Friday afternoon. The new filly is out of the Upstart mare Gratz Park, who is a half-sister to GSW Rich Mommy (Algorithms). "We are overjoyed to see such a nice first foal by Speakers Corner out of the Upstart mare Gratz Park," said Ben Henley, Airdrie's General Manager. "She has a ton of quality and within a few hours...

Today we'll consider some of the sires standing between $10,001 and $19,999. For a long time, I called this the Lookin At Lucky zone. But don't worry, we won't be deploring his neglect yet again: he's staying in Chile, where they evidently appreciate him rather more. Plenty of horses in this bracket have recently relinquished their brief window of commercial opportunity, and are now hanging around to discover whether they might join the very small group whose first runners generate a fresh vogue. Even with the newcomers out of the...

Knightsbridge (c, 2, Nyquist--Tyburn Brooke, by Bernardini) aired out in his Churchill Downs debut Saturday to become the newest 'TDN Rising Star' and the second overall for his sire. The Godolphin homebred, a half-brother to GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense), was outrun out of the chute and raced covered up against the rail in mid pack. Moving up under his own power, the 5-2 second choice ran into a wall of horses all gunning for the lead and had to check back out of a tight spot right at the...

John Ferguson acquired Round Pond on behalf of Darley for $5.75 million at Fasig-Tipton's fall sale in 2007. The elegant bay produced two stakes winners for the Darley/Godolphin banner--MSW & GISP Long River (A.P. Indy) and SW & GSP Lake Lucerne (Dubawi {Ire})--while an unraced daughter produced 2022 GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner. The latter, a Godolphin homebred by home stallion Street Sense, stood his first season in the Darley stud barn alongside his sire this year. "Round Pond is a sweet girl," said Darley's Gainsborough division farm manager...

With a fee of $85,000, Nyquist (Uncle Mo) will lead the way among a total of 13 stallions who will stand at Darley's Jonabell Farm in 2024, including two new additions in GI winners Cody's Wish (Curlin) and Proxy (Tapit), according to Darley America. Cody's Wish, out of GI winner Dance Card (by Tapit), is expected to make his final start in the GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile after winning the race in 2022. A winner of 10 of 15 career starts, Cody's Wish has never finished out of the...

Speaker's Corner (Street Sense - Tyburn Brook, by Bernardini) and Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper - Music Note, by A.P. Indy), both Grade I-winning homebreds for Godolphin, have joined the Darley America stallion roster for 2023. The newcomers hail from impressive Godolphin families. Speaker's Corner, who will command an initial stud fee of $20,000, is out of a daughter of GI Breeders' Cup Distaff victress Round Pond (Awesome Again), while Mystic Guide, a 'TDN Rising Star' who will stand for $15,000, is a son of five-time Grade I winner Music Note. "We...

Perennial top sire Medaglia d'Oro once again heads Darley's Jonabell Farm roster for 2023 with his fee remaining at $100,000, the same amount as 2022. Darley has also added two new stallions to the now-11 horse roster, including G1SW Mystic Guide (Ghostzapper) and GISW Speaker's Corner (Street Sense). Mystic Guide, who won the 2021 G1 Dubai World Cup, was retired earlier this year. He will stand for a fee of $15,000 in his initial season at stud. Speaker's Corner, a Godolphin homebred out of Tyburn Brook (Bernardini) who is bred...

The GI Runhappy Travers S. is one of the summer's most highly anticipated events and for the past several years it has been the centerpiece of a Super Saturday card at Saratoga that serves as a Breeders' Cup preview. The Travers is one of five star-studded Grade Is on the 14-race card, which also includes the GII Ballston Spa S. for turf fillies. Intriguing storylines abound in this year's eight-horse renewal of the summer centerpiece for sophomore colts, which is topped by GII Jim Dandy S. winner Epicenter (Not This...

The uber-talented 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), last seen tiring to fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26, returned from the bench in style with a dominating, front-running win sprinting over three rivals in the GII John A. Nerud S. at Belmont Park Saturday. Away alertly from his rail draw, the 1-5 favorite was shadowed by GI Carter H. winner Speaker's Corner (Street Sense) through an opening quarter in :22.19 and a half-mile in :44.70. With Flavien Prat sitting chilly, Life Is Good hit the...

Holiday weekends are often synonymous with exciting race cards and this Fourth of July weekend is no exception with a dozen graded events on tap Saturday that include some of racing's best. The highlight of the day's action is the return of 'TDN Rising Star' Life Is Good (Into Mischief), who is making his first start back since finishing fourth in the G1 Dubai World Cup Mar. 26 in Belmont's GII John A. Nerud S. A dominant winner of last year's GII Kelso H. and GI Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile...