Horse Racing

Horse Racing

Speak Logistics attempts to take next step

 

Special to The Miami Herald

Speak Logistics impressed local fans and national racing analysts Oct. 13 with his fast gate-to-wire win in the $300,000 In Reality Stakes at Calder Casino & Race Course.

On Saturday, he will attempt a big next step in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Grade 1) at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

The race for 2-year-olds is 1 1/16 miles on dirt, with scheduled post time of 5:36 p.m. It will be carried live on the NBC Sports cable channel.

“He had a good speed figure in his last race [In Reality] and came out of it fine,” said Eddie Plesa Jr., the trainer of Speak Logistics.

Ralph Nabavi, the colt’s owner, already had paid the nomination fees.

“So, we decided ‘let’s take a shot,’ ” Plesa said.

“I think he has a good chance to win,” he added.

Speak Logistics has won two of three starts. His first win, a mile on dirt, was at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., on Aug. 12.

Speak Logistics is 8-1 in the morning line — the fifth-lowest odds in the nine-horse field.

Angel Serpa, who rode Speak Logistics in his two wins, has the mount.

The favorites are Shanghai Bobby (2-1), a stakes winner at Saratoga and Belmont Park, and Power Broker (5-2), a stakes winner at Santa Anita.

Todd Pletcher trains Shanghai Bobby, and Bob Baffert trains Power Broker.

Speak Logistics and Power Broker are among the four horses in Saturday’s stakes that have sought the lead in one or more of their early races.

But Plesa said Speak Logistics took the early lead in his wins because no other horses wanted it.

“He is versatile and will be able to rate off the pace,” Plesa said.

Speak Logistics won the In Reality in 1:47.79, a fast time on Calder’s deep track.

He earned a Beyer speed figure of 90 — equaling the best for Power Broker and just under Shanghai Bobby’s best of 94.

Speak Logistics is a son of High Cotton

Nabavi, who has homes in Davie and on Long Island, owns a transportation logistics company and used that industry as a basis for the horse’s name.

Where to Wager

Calder will have 12 races Saturday, with first post time of 12:30 p.m., and will be among South Florida pari-mutuels that will televise and take bets on Breeders’ Cup races. The scheduled post time for the Breeders’ Cup Classic is 8:35 p.m. It is the 12th and final race of the day at Santa Anita.

Calder will have simulcast betting on all of the nine Breeders’ Cup races and three other races at Santa Anita. Gulfstream Park, Magic City Casino, Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park and Palm Beach Kennel will simulcast all of the Santa Anita races and all Calder races.

Mardi Gras Casino and Dania Jai-Alai will simulcast the Breeders’ Cup Classic and three other Breeders’ Cup races with post times after 6 p.m. They will not simulcast any Calder races.

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