Seaspeak Faces 10 Rivals in Sunday's Commonwealth Turf

Nov 06, 2008 Gary Yunt

(Nov. 6, 2008) – Dr. John Chandler’s Seaspeak, who was disqualified out of a victory in the Grade III Bryan Station at Keeneland on Oct. 12 in his most recent start, will try again for his first stakes score when he faces 10 rivals in Sunday’s $100,000-added Commonwealth Turf (GIII) at Churchill Downs.

The race, limited to 3-year-olds, will be run at 1 1/16 miles on the Matt Winn Turf Course and goes as the ninth race on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post time for the Sunday program is 12:40 p.m. ET.

Seaspeak broke his maiden at first asking here last fall going a mile on the turf for trainer Alex Clarkson. Seaspeak, a homebred son of Mizzen Mast, followed that up with a third-place finish in the Grand Canyon.

In the Bryan Station, under Kent Desormeaux, Seaspeak exchanged bumps with Cowboy Cal

through most of the stretch before prevailing by a head, but his number came down. Desormeaux will be aboard again Sunday and break from post position eight.

The colt with the most grass success in the Commonwealth Turf is Skychai Racing and Sand Dollar Stable’s Cherokee Triangle. Trained by Mike Maker, Cherokee Triangle has four wins in nine grass starts with three of the triumphs coming in stakes.

Cherokee Triangle, who will break from post position one under Julien Leparoux, returned from a two-month layoff to run second in the Hawthorne Derby (GIII) in his most recent start, finishing a head in front of Commonwealth Turf rival Snoose Goose.

The field for the Commonwealth Turf, from the hedge out (with jockey and weight): Cherokee Triangle (Leparoux, 121 pounds), Nistle’s Crunch (Robby Albarado, 119), Boss Lafitte (Calvin Borel, 121), Mr Maccool (Miguel Mena, 121), Jimmy Simms (Shaun Bridgmohan, 119), Allsarott (E.T. Baird, 117), Snoose Goose (Corey Lanerie, 121), Seaspeak (Desormeaux, 117), Veiled Prophet (Jesus Castanon, 117), Amazing Results (Rene Douglas, 121) and Silver Mountain (Jamie Theriot, 119).

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