Main threats provide the speed in Speakeasy
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Twilight Delight faded from contention in the final furlong of the $946,000 Kentucky Downs Juvenile Sprint at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 31. A week later, the same happened to Dirty Rich in the stretch of the Grade 3 Del Mar Juvenile Turf at a mile.
Twilight Delight and Dirty Rich are entered in Saturday’s $100,000 Speakeasy Stakes for 2-year-olds at five furlongs on turf at Santa Anita. The pair, along with A.P. Again, Arkadelphia, and Bacio, should be part of a hectic speed duel in a race designed as a prep for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on Oct. 31.
The Speakeasy has a field of 12. None are stakes winners, although Thirsty Rebel was beaten a nose when second in the I’m Smokin Stakes for statebreds at 5 1/2 furlongs on dirt at Del Mar on Sept. 5.
Thirsty Rebel is trained by Doug O’Neill, who also starts Brigante, a maiden after three starts who may race as a stalker.
Brigante was second to the two-time stakes winner Hey Nay Nay in a maiden race on turf at Santa Anita on May 31. At the Del Mar summer meeting, Brigante was beaten in two graded stakes on dirt – third in the Grade 3 Best Pal Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs on Aug. 9, and last of six in the Grade 1 Del Mar Futurity on Sept. 7.
Twilight Delight led throughout his debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs on turf at Ellis Park on Aug. 1. In the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Turf Sprint, he disputed the pace before losing by 5 3/4 lengths to Johnny’s Red Storm, who has since been taken out of training, according to trainer George Weaver.
Twilight Delight drew the inside post in the Speakeasy, which tips how he will be ridden by jockey Kazushi Kimura, trainer Daniel Leitch said.
“We do have to get out” of the gate, Leitch said. “In the morning, he’s been quick out of there. In his first two starts, he’s been first or second. I don’t want him behind horses either.”
Twilight Delight won on firm turf at Ellis Park and will get those conditions at Santa Anita.
“I think he’ll love the surface out there,” said Leitch, who has a 10-horse stable in Kentucky.
Dirty Rich won his second start in a $150,000 claiming race for maidens at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on July 31 and raced for the first time on grass in the Del Mar Juvenile Turf. The Speakeasy will provide owner Michael McMillan and trainer Peter Miller with a better understanding of what races fit Dirty Rich. Ricky Gonzalez has the mount for the first time.
“He’s very fast, and I’m just not sure he wants to go the mile,” Miller said. “He ran good for three-quarters. We’ve still got more questions than answers. Is he a dirt horse or a sprinter?
“We’ll see what kind of horse he is sprinting on the grass. We’re going to send him out of there. We have a good speed rider with Ricky.”
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