Speak John

Speak John
Speak John
Sire	Prince John
Grandsire	Princequillo
Dam	Nuit de Folies
Damsire	Tornado
Sex	Stallion
Foaled	1958
Country	United States
Color	Bay
Breeder	Elmendorf Farm
Owner	Elmendorf Farm
Trainer	Farrell W. Jones
Record	12: 4-2-0
Earnings	US$36,460
Major wins
	Del Mar Derby (1961); Las Vegas Handicap (1961)
Awards
	Leading broodmare sire in North America (1985)

Speak John (1958–1980) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who was the 1985 Champion broodmare sire in North America.

Background

Speak John was bred and raced by Max Gluck's Elmendorf Farm. He was trained in California under trainer Farrell Jones.

Speak John recorded his biggest wins in the Del Mar Derby at Del Mar Racetrack in California^[1] and the Las Vegas Handicap at Bay Meadows.^[2]

Retired to stud duty at his birthplace near Lexington, Kentucky, Speak John sired a number of good runners including multiple stakes winner Verbatim, and the 1973 American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly, Talking Picture. Belle de Jour, another daughter of Speak John, was the dam of Spend A Buck, the 1985 Kentucky Derby winner and American Horse of the Year.

In 1985, Talking Picture's daughter, Easy To Copy, won the Group 2 Premio Legnano in Milan, Italy.^[3] Her winnings, along with those of Spend A Buck, earned Speak John Leading broodmare sire in North America honors in 1985. Speak John was also the damsire of 2005 Dubai World Cup winner, Roses in May, and to Overskate, voted an unprecedented nine Sovereign Awards while racing in Canada and the United States.

Speak John died on August 9, 1980, and was buried in the Elmendorf Farm cemetery.