2020 Central Bank Ashland winner Speech heads field of seven for Friday's Baird Doubledogdare

Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Madaket Stables and Heider Family Stables’ Speech, winner of last summer’s Central Bank Ashland (G1), will kick off her 2021 campaign Friday when she headlines a field of seven fillies and mares for the 26^th running of the $100,000 Baird Doubledogdare (G3) going 1 1/16 miles on the main track.

The Baird Doubledogdare will go as the ninth race on Friday’s 10-race program with a 5:30 p.m. post time. This year’s renewal marks the 10^th running of the race as sponsored by Baird (formerly Hilliard Lyons).

Trained by Michael McCarthy, Speech closed her 2020 campaign by finishing sixth behind eventual champion Gamine in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint (G1) here. Javier Castellano will be aboard Friday and break from post six.

Also making her 2021 debut Friday is Juddmonte Farms’ Bonny South.

Trained by Brad Cox, Bonny South won the Twinspires.com Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) before finishing fourth behind Speech in the Central Bank Ashland. She closed the year with three consecutive runner-up finishes, including the Alabama (G1) and the Falls City (G2) against older horses.

Florent Geroux has the mount and will break from post five.

The field for the Baird Doubledogdare, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Royal Flag (Joel Rosario, 118 pounds), High Regard (Rafael Bejarano, 118), Graceful Princess (Luis Saez, 118), Eres Tu (Tyler Gaffalione, 120), Bonny South (Geroux, 118), Speech (Castellano, 118) and Bajan Girl (Corey Lanerie, 118).