Ren Carothers’ Pedigree Play at Saratoga for Aug. 7

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Horses race on the turf course at Saratoga Race Course during the 2020 meet. (Eclipse Sportswire)

Our #Pedigeek “Term of the Week” is:

STAMINA

The Merriam-Webster definition:

  • the bodily or mental capacity to sustain a prolonged stressful effort or activity

Stamina as defined in breeding and racing means the same thing. Horses with stamina can go a distance of ground, which Race 1 on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course will demand they do. Indeed, the field boasts prospects whose pedigrees suggest they can go a route. In some instances, there are youngsters whose sires could go around two turns. In others, those credentials are found on dam’s (mom’s) side. Yet, it is a horse with experience, who is bred top and bottom to be big in physical size, with a profile to go long, that has, surprisingly, shown the kind of sprint speed that could make him dangerous now getting the conditions that his pedigree reflects.

What makes #8 Speak Unity even more intriguing is the fact he was able to show ability back in April, as he was a late foal, born in May 2019. He debuted at Belmont Park in a five-furlong sprint and pressed the pace before tiring. Granted, it was a short field that was not tough overall, but the winner, Kavod, went on to come just three-quarters of a length short of winning the Tremont Stakes in his next start. Speak Unity was switched to grass for his second start, and this is where things get particularly brow-raising, despite it being a four-horse field, as he went out and pressed the pace set by Wesley Ward trainee Lucci.

Lucci eventually kicked on to win by three lengths, but again, Speak Unity isn’t bred to sprint. Additionally, to put in perspective the quality of the colt he was pressing, Lucci next contested the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot. He finished fifth, but only a length beaten.

weekend TV schedule

Thursday, Aug. 5: 1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. ET on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Friday, Aug. 6:
1 p.m.-6:30 p.m. ET on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Saturday, Aug. 7:
12:30 p.m.-7 p.m. on FS2; post time varies on TVG

Sunday, Aug. 8:
1 p.m.-1:30 p.m. on FS2; 1:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. on FS1; post time varies on TVG

Now, as for being bred to be big and to go long … Speak Unity is by Union Rags, who stands at around 16.2-16.3 hands tall. Union Rags was one of those horses who was precocious enough to win at first asking at 2 years old in a five-furlong sprint (and even won the 6 ½-furlong, Grade 2 Saratoga Special by 7 1/4 lengths), but also had the quality to mature into a classic horse, the exclamation point being his triumph in the 1 ½-mile Belmont Stakes in 2012. Union Rags was a dirt horse, yes, but also take in mind, his half-sister Tempo West is the dam (mother) of Declaration of War, who was a multiple Group 1 winner on turf in Europe, and who, in his lone start on dirt, showed class enough to run a close third in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Classic.

Adding more size and stamina to the equation is the fact that Speak Unity’s mother, Chat, a stakes-placed turf router, is a daughter of Dynaformer, who stood around 17-hands tall. Dynaformer (a son of the great Roberto, victor of the 1972 Epsom Derby) won the 1988 Jersey Derby at 1 ¼ miles and the Discovery Handicap at 1 1/8 miles. He equaled the track record for 1 1/8 miles in the Lucky Draw Stakes on dirt at Aqueduct, going 1:48.40, and even set a course record for 1 ½ miles on turf at Keeneland. At stud, Dynaformer went on to sire the likes of 2006 Kentucky Derby hero Barbaro.

It’s also quite notable that Speak Unity’s maternal grandmother, Verbal (a daughter of Kingmambo), is a three-quarter sister to E Dubai (like Kingmambo, a son of Mr. Prospector, hence the three-quarter relationship), whose graded stakes wins include the Grade 2 Suburban and Dwyer Stakes. He was also second in the 2001 Travers Stakes, and went on to sire a Breeders’ Cup Classic winner in Fort Larned, winner of the aforementioned 2013 edition in which Declaration of War was third.

Furthermore, one of Verbal’s half-siblings is No Matter What, winner of the 2000 edition of the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and dam of Rainbow View, a champion 2-year-old filly in Europe who also happens to be a daughter of Dynaformer. One more key element to highlight is that Speak Unity’s maternal great-grandmother, Words of War, was a multiple stakes winner who also set a turf course record of 1:40.98 in the 1 1/16-mile Mint Julep Handicap back in 1994.

Considering Speak Unity’s pedigree boasts stamina of this class, it’s hard not to have hope that getting to go two turns on grass is going to be just the ticket he needs to get to the winner’s circle. It’s even more encouraging that this late foal, who also has size-genetics at play, has had additional time to mature physically – and after already showing ability when he was likely behind in that regard. True, he has since been gelded, and the workouts on the tab don’t appear like actual drills, but putting the pedigree puzzle together still reflects too much potential to pass up.

Saturday, Aug. 7

Saratoga Race Course, Race 1, maiden special weight race, 2-year-olds, 1-1/16 miles, turf, 12:35 p.m. ET

#8 SPEAK UNITY (5-1 morning-line odds)

Trainer: Jonathan Thomas

Jockey: Flavien Prat

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