Outwork, Speightster Retired to WinStar

Outwork (Uncle Mo–Nonna Mia, by Empire Maker), hero of the 2016 GI Wood Memorial S., and last year's GIII Dwyer S. winner Speightster (Speightstown–Dance Swiftly, by Danzig) have been retired to WinStar Farm. Stud fees will be announced at a later date.

“Outwork and Speightster are as close to Uncle Mo and Speightstown as you will find when you look at the combination of their overall quality, physical traits, and racing traits in relation to their sires,” said Elliott Walden, WinStar President & CEO. “Speightstown is emerging as a sire of sires, and Speightster is closely related to Smart Strike and bred just like him. Most would expect Uncle Mo to have successful sons at stud, and Outwork looks like a carbon copy. So these are two very exciting new stallion prospects that will have the full support of some of the top breeders in the world, including WinStar and our partners Mike Repole and Woodford Thoroughbreds on Outwork. Both horses also figure to be priced in the market to be accessible for a wide range of breeders.”

Outwork, a homebred for Mike Repole, becomes the first Grade I winner by leading young sire Uncle Mo to retire to stud. The GII Lambholm South Tampa Bay Derby runner-up also became his sire's first winner as a 2-year-old when he impressively broke his maiden first-time out going 4 1/2 furlongs during the 2015 Keeneland Spring meet. Outwork posted a record of 5-3-1-0 and earnings of $701,800. His winning dam Nonna Mia, third in the 2009 GI Frizette S. at Belmont Park, has also produced the multiple stakes placed Nonna's Boy (Distorted Humor). Nonna Mia is a half-sister to MGSW Cairo Prince (Pioneerof the Nile).

“Outwork has always reminded me so much of Uncle Mo,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “Both are big colts with similar qualities, including their uncanny speed and precociousness for their size. Both were always very forward in the mornings and among the best work horses in the barn, and obviously they both went on to do great things stretching out their speed to win major Grade I races.”

Speightster, owned and bred by WinStar Farm, won three of four career starts for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, good for earnings of $368,800. The 'TDN Rising Star' was produced by an unraced full-sister to champion Dance Smartly and a half-sister to champion sire Smart Strike.

“Speightster was an extremely fast and talented horse,” Mott said. “He really reminded me a lot of another colt I had from that sire line, Elusive Quality. Both had brilliant speed and a rare ability to carry it over a mile.”