Speightstown’s dynamic 2-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare is likely on her way to the Breeders’ Cup after the chestnut filly dug in gamely to win the $250,000 Natalma S. (G1) at Woodbine on Sunday afternoon.
Speightstown is the nation’s leading sire by progeny earnings, with nearly $8.7 million, and leads all sires by Grade 1 horses, with six. Lady Speightspeare’s win earned her an all fees-paid berth in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), which will be run at Keeneland this year on November 6.
A winner on debut on Aug. 22, Lady Speightspeare was about a length off the pacesetter Big Big Plans, who guided the field through six furlongs in 1:11.59. Lady Speightspeare loomed up on the outside at the top of the stretch and took over willingly, then held off Alda in the final furlong to win by a length in 1:34.61 for the mile on the firm turf.
“The doors opened and I just kind of put my hands down and the outside horse out-stepped her the first little bit and she showed that composure of a race horse,” said jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson. “She settled into stride, got into rhythm and, man, when they started to come to her, just like last time, she really leveled off and dug in.”
Trained by Roger Attfield for owner/breeder Charles Fipke, the regally-bred Lady Speightspeare is out of the multiple graded winner Lady Shakespeare, whose siblings include Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf (G1) winner Perfect Shirl and multiple Grade 1 winner Shakespeare.
