Back in January, before Speaking Scout had ever tried graded-stakes competition, trainer Graham Motion had serious doubts whether the 3-year-old gelded son of Mr. Speaker had Grade I success in his future.
Motion’s skepticism was borne out in Speaking Scout’s first three tries at Grade III opponents. He finished fourth, sixth and seventh and appeared to be nothing more than a high-level stakes horse.
But something clicked when Motion shipped Speaking Scout to Santa Anita for the Grade II Twilight Derby on Oct. 29. Sent postward as the 2-1 favorite, he finished a troubled second under Juan Hernandez, setting him up for the best effort of his 14-race career Saturday in the 82nd edition of the $400,000 Grade I Hollywood Derby at Del Mar.
Next to last up the backstretch in the 10-horse field, Hernandez expertly guided Speaking Scout, an 8-1 outsider, home to win by three-quarters of a length over 30-1 maiden Spycatcher in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-olds.
It was Speaking Scout’s fourth win and first graded-stakes victory. He won the ungraded Hawthorne Derby on Oct. 1 by five lengths in his race leading up to the Twilight Derby. He’s now earned $500,666 after picking up the winner’s share of $240,000.
Final time was 1:49.34.
“He saved our day,” Motion said after Pallotta Sisters finished seventh in the Jimmy Durante and his two other runners, Evan Harlan and Script, finished seventh and eighth, respectfully, in the Hollywood Derby. “I really left it up to Juan. He had ridden him before. He’s such a good rider and he gave him a really good, patient ride. The timing was so good with the Santa Anita race. Alice Clapham, my assistant, has had him here the whole meet. She really deserves the credit.”
Like the Twilight Derby, Speaking Scout broke a step slow Saturday, but recovered in time to enable Hernandez to establish a good spot from where he could close strongly.
“He put himself in a good spot and I was happy,” Hernandez said. “He’s an intelligent horse. When it came time for him to switch leads, he did it and I had faith he was going to run good from there. I was just the pilot. He did all the work.”
Hernandez and Flavien Prat won two races apiece Saturday, setting up a closing-day Sunday where the two will battle to the wire for the Del Mar fall meet riding title. Hernandez leads, 20-18. Prat is scheduled to ride in eight of the nine races and Hernandez has six mounts lined up.
Jimmy Durante Stakes
Prat guided 7-5 favorite Liguria to a powerful 2 1/4-length victory in the $100,000 Grade III grass race for 2-year-old fillies.
Decorated My Life, a 20-1 longshot with Joe Bravo aboard, closed from 11th in the 12-horse field to finish second by a nose over Sell the Dream.
Final time for the 1 mile was 1:36.16.