Speaker's Corner part of loaded field for Saturday allowance

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Speaker’s Corner, who won a ridiculously productive maiden race at Belmont Park last October, makes his long-awaited 3-year-old debut in a first-level allowance race going seven furlongs Saturday at Saratoga.

Speaker’s Corner, a son of Street Sense owned by Godolphin Racing, won a seven-furlong maiden race by three-quarters of a length on Oct. 11. That race produced subsequent stakes winners Greatest Honour, Caddo River, Bourbonic, and Original. Also, Miles D came out of that race to this year win a maiden race and finish second in the Curlin Stakes three weeks ago.

Speaker’s Corner, meanwhile, was hampered by an ankle injury that delayed his return to training. A virus that went through trainer Bill Mott’s barn in the spring further delayed his return to the races.

“We were almost ready to run at the end of Belmont,” Mott said.

Mott had entered Speaker’s Corner in this same first-level allowance condition going 1 1/8 miles, but that race didn’t fill.

In looking at the field for Saturday’s race, Mott said: “I couldn’t have picked a tougher spot. I think we’re slightly compromised at seven-eighths of a mile. Though we haven’t done it yet, I feel like he’s going to want to run on a little farther.”

This same allowance condition on July 17 produced an amazing duel between Beau Liam and Witsel, with those two finishing a nose apart and six lengths clear of third-place finisher Mahaamel. Beau Liam won that race, earning a 106 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trainer Chad Brown reports that in subsequent training Witsel got injured and will miss the remainder of his 3-year-old season. Mahaamel is back in this field as is Ten for Ten, who finished sixth in the July 17 allowance.

Mahaamel was a sharp maiden winner in his second start, winning a seven-furlong race by 3 1/4 lengths while earning a 99 Beyer Speed Figure.

Among the new faces to the allowance ranks is Ducale, a son of Twirling Candy who dead-heated for second in a June 12 maiden race at Churchill, then won a seven-furlong maiden race here by two lengths on July 17.

In his debut, Ducale “was in tight down the lane a little bit,” said Brad Cox, who trains Ducale for Juddmonte Farms.

“He gave us enough confidence out of that to bring him up here,” Cox said. “We liked him opening weekend. We’re back in four weeks, which is maybe a touch quick.”

Defeater, a son of Union Rags trained by Tom Amoss, returns to the races after a maiden victory in January and a late-running second in a 1 1/16-mile allowance race in February.