Speak John (USA)
February 7, 1958 – August 9, 1980
Prince John (USA) x Nuit de Folies (FR), by Tornado (FR)
Family 1-l
February 7, 1958 – August 9, 1980
Prince John (USA) x Nuit de Folies (FR), by Tornado (FR)
Family 1-l
Speak John was only a moderate racehorse, but his excellent pedigree was enough to provide him a better initial opportunity at stud than he might have otherwise obtained. After siring the good runner and sire Verbatim in his first crop, he was able to build on that success well enough to be a quite useful sire. Following in the hoof prints of his sire Prince John and grandsire Princequillo, he was the American champion broodmare sire of 1985.
Race record
12 starts, 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$36,460
1961:
Assessments
Rated at 109 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1968, 17 pounds below champion Carry Back.
As an individual
A bay horse, Speak John was lengthy and had a good shoulder. He was less heavy-topped than his sire Prince John and showed something of the elegance associated with the bloodlines developed by Marcel Boussac from which his dam came.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club's records show Speak John as the sire of 238 winners (66.5%) and 24 stakes winners (6.7%) from 358 named foals. The Australian Bloodhorse Review's massive reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits Speak John with 26 stakes winners (7.3%). Speak John is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
Notable progeny
Hold Your Peace (USA), Talking Picture (USA), Text (USA), Verbatim (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
On the Line (USA), Overskate (CAN), Spend a Buck (USA), Trusted Partner (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Speak John was bred and owned by Maxwell Gluck's Elmendorf Farm. He was trained by Farrell Jones. He stood at Elmendorf following his retirement from racing and was buried there following his death in August 1980.
Pedigree notes
Speak John is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to 1957 Michigan Mile and One-Sixteenth winner My Night Out (by Phalanx) and to the minor stakes winner London Jet (by Ridan). He is also a half brother to Night Dance (by Cortil), dam of 1963 Astoria Stakes winner Miss Twist (by Prince John) and third dam of Grade 2 winner Her Temper. In addition, he is a half brother to Red Damask (by Jet Action), dam of 1973 Cotillion Handicap (USA-G1) winner Lilac Hill (by Prince John), 1976 Gran Premio di Milano (ITY-G1) winner Rouge Sang (by Bold Bidder) and multiple stakes winner Silent King (by Screen King), second dam of Grade 3 winner Berry Bush and third dam of 1999 Malibu Stakes (USA-G1) winner Love That Red.
Nuit de Folies, the dam of Speak John, won the 1950 Prix Minerve and is a half sister to 1954 Prix Henri Delamarre winner Hidalgo (by Caldarium), 1959 Prix Minerve winner Mandolina (by Ocarina; third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Better Talk Now) and 1960 Grand Prix du Printemps winner Negresco (by Sica Boy). She is also a half sister to stakes-placed Folie Douce (by Caldarium), dam of 1959 French champion 3-year-old filly Mi Carina (by Ocarina),1958 Princess Royal Stakes winner Mother Goose (by Escamillo) and 1967 Gazelle Handicap and Ladies Handicap winner Sweet Folly (by Tom Fool). Folie Douce is also the second dam of 1868 American co-champion 3-year-old male Stage Door Johnny and Grade 2 winner Jack Sprat.
Sired by the good French stakes winner Tornado (by Tourbillon), Nuit de Folies is out of 1943 Prix Vermeille winner Folle Nuit, by French stakes winner Astrophel. Produced from Folle Passion (by the French champion Massine), Folle Nuit is a full sister to the stayer Fol Ami, winner of the 1949 Northumberland Plate in England.
Last updated: June 18, 2022
Race record
12 starts, 4 wins, 2 seconds, 0 thirds, US$36,460
1961:
- Won Del Mar Derby (USA, 9FD, Del Mar)
- Won Tropicana Hotel of Las Vegas Handicap (USA, 8.5FD, Bay Meadows)
- 2nd La Jolla Mile Handicap (USA, 8FD, Del Mar)
Assessments
Rated at 109 pounds on the Daily Racing Form's Free Handicap for American 3-year-old males of 1968, 17 pounds below champion Carry Back.
As an individual
A bay horse, Speak John was lengthy and had a good shoulder. He was less heavy-topped than his sire Prince John and showed something of the elegance associated with the bloodlines developed by Marcel Boussac from which his dam came.
As a stallion
The Jockey Club's records show Speak John as the sire of 238 winners (66.5%) and 24 stakes winners (6.7%) from 358 named foals. The Australian Bloodhorse Review's massive reference work Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World credits Speak John with 26 stakes winners (7.3%). Speak John is a Brilliant/Intermediate chef-de-race in the Roman-Miller dosage system.
Sire rankings
Per the American Racing Manual (Daily Racing Form) series:
- Led the US broodmare sire list in 1985.
Per Great Thoroughbred Sires of the World (2006, Churchill, Reichard, and Rogers):
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1985.
Per Thoroughbred Heritage (www.tbheritage.com):
- Led the American broodmare sire list in 1985.
Notable progeny
Hold Your Peace (USA), Talking Picture (USA), Text (USA), Verbatim (USA)
Notable progeny of daughters
On the Line (USA), Overskate (CAN), Spend a Buck (USA), Trusted Partner (USA)
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Speak John was bred and owned by Maxwell Gluck's Elmendorf Farm. He was trained by Farrell Jones. He stood at Elmendorf following his retirement from racing and was buried there following his death in August 1980.
Pedigree notes
Speak John is outcrossed through five generations. He is a half brother to 1957 Michigan Mile and One-Sixteenth winner My Night Out (by Phalanx) and to the minor stakes winner London Jet (by Ridan). He is also a half brother to Night Dance (by Cortil), dam of 1963 Astoria Stakes winner Miss Twist (by Prince John) and third dam of Grade 2 winner Her Temper. In addition, he is a half brother to Red Damask (by Jet Action), dam of 1973 Cotillion Handicap (USA-G1) winner Lilac Hill (by Prince John), 1976 Gran Premio di Milano (ITY-G1) winner Rouge Sang (by Bold Bidder) and multiple stakes winner Silent King (by Screen King), second dam of Grade 3 winner Berry Bush and third dam of 1999 Malibu Stakes (USA-G1) winner Love That Red.
Nuit de Folies, the dam of Speak John, won the 1950 Prix Minerve and is a half sister to 1954 Prix Henri Delamarre winner Hidalgo (by Caldarium), 1959 Prix Minerve winner Mandolina (by Ocarina; third dam of multiple Grade 1 winner Better Talk Now) and 1960 Grand Prix du Printemps winner Negresco (by Sica Boy). She is also a half sister to stakes-placed Folie Douce (by Caldarium), dam of 1959 French champion 3-year-old filly Mi Carina (by Ocarina),1958 Princess Royal Stakes winner Mother Goose (by Escamillo) and 1967 Gazelle Handicap and Ladies Handicap winner Sweet Folly (by Tom Fool). Folie Douce is also the second dam of 1868 American co-champion 3-year-old male Stage Door Johnny and Grade 2 winner Jack Sprat.
Sired by the good French stakes winner Tornado (by Tourbillon), Nuit de Folies is out of 1943 Prix Vermeille winner Folle Nuit, by French stakes winner Astrophel. Produced from Folle Passion (by the French champion Massine), Folle Nuit is a full sister to the stayer Fol Ami, winner of the 1949 Northumberland Plate in England.
Last updated: June 18, 2022