Life Talk has blueprint to follow, starts with Suncoast Stakes

In 2022, Nest won the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs to kick off her 3-year-old campaign, one that would include three Grade 1 victories and end with an Eclipse Award.

Todd Pletcher and owner Mike Repole – the connections of Nest – will use Saturday’s $150,000 Suncoast Stakes at Tampa to kick off the 3-year-old campaign of Life Talk. Who knows where it could lead?

The Suncoast, run at a mile and 40-yards, offers its top five finishers qualifying points (20-10-6-4-2) toward the May 3 Kentucky Oaks.

Life Talk, like Nest, ended her 2-year-old campaign with a victory in the Grade 2 Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct. Life Talk, unlike Nest, had run in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies prior to the Demoiselle. Life Talk, off slowly in that race, finished fourth to Just F Y I, the same filly who beat her in the Grade 1 Frizette and is the recently crowned 2-year-old filly champion of 2023.

“She ran well there,” Pletcher said of the Breeders’ Cup. “It’s not always easy to win after you’ve run in the Breeders’ Cup and ship from coast to coast. I thought she ran really well in the Demoiselle and this seems like a decent place to bring her back. It gives us options moving forward.”

In the Demoiselle, run over a speed-favoring Aqueduct main track, Life Talk was the controlling speed and did appear to get an easy trip. She won her maiden, a one-turn mile, from off the pace.

Jose Ortiz rides Life Talk from post 4 in this six-horse field.

Power Squeeze kicked off her 3-year-old campaign with a five-length victory in the one-mile Cash Run Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 5. That followed a maiden win, which came in a two-turn mile race at Delaware Park, which was run on dirt after being scheduled for turf.

“At that time, she was only 60, 70 percent, and she needed that race to gain experience,” trainer Jorge Delgado said of the Delaware race. “I know we’re going to face a couple of nice fillies, but the way our filly’s training, she’s been improving every weekend. I think our filly is really going to be tough to beat.”

David Egan is named to ride from post 2.

Whocouldaskformo, a daughter of Uncle Mo, finished third in her debut sprinting at Aqueduct on Dec. 1. She came back on Dec. 31 to win a mile-and-40-yard maiden race by 6 1/2 lengths at Tampa.

“It was a Tampa race, but just the way she did it [was impressive],” said McGaughey, who enters Saturday with a 7-for-14 record at Tampa this meet. “I think there’s a jump forward in Whocouldaskformo.”

Tyler Gaffalione rides from the rail.

Gorgeous Girl is coming off a second-place finish behind Mystic Lake in the Gasparilla Stakes at Tampa on Jan. 13.

Trainer Tim Hamm has entered the pair of America’s Vow and Managing Mischief, both coming off maiden wins at Tampa in their most recent starts. America’s Vow’s win came by 7 1/2 lengths at the Suncoast distance.

The Suncoast is carded as race 5 (2:27 p.m. Eastern) on an 11-race card.