Speightstown’s eighth stakes winner of 2011 came at Saratoga on Sept. 2 when Wine Police made a last-to-first move to win the $75,000 Distorted Humor S. by a half length. The chestnut 3-year-old has been very consistent in all five of his starts, winning three times and finishing third in the other two outings.
Speightstown finished 2010 as second-ranked third crop sire in North America and is in the top 15 on this year’s general sire list.
Wine Police was in fifth for most of the six furlongs, not making up much ground until well into the stretch, when he went four-wide to go by the front-runners and finishing up a half-length and getting the distance in 1:11.45.
The winner is owned by Kirk and Judy Robison and trained by Steve Asmussen. The trainer Asmussen had previously said that he hoped to use this race as a prep for the $250,000 Gallant Bob S. at Parx on Sept. 24.
Wine Police is out of Deputy Cure Blues, who won a pair of stakes and over $400,000. Bred in Kentucky by John and Martha Mulholland, Wine Police was a $190,000 auction buy by the Robisons at the 2009 Keeneland September yearling sale.
2YO Speightscity breaks maiden by double digits
Two races after Wine Police, juvenile Speightscity rolled to a 11 1/2-length victory in a $52,000 maiden special race at 1 1/8 miles. After finishing fourth in his debut, Speightscity found the added sixteenth of a mile to his liking, taking over after six furlongs and winning all by himself. WinStar Farm LLC bred the winner in partnership with Polo Green Stable, Piacentino Farms, LP and Shannon Potter.
And on September 2nd, Speightstown’s juvenile son Sarge Hudson remained undefeated, with a gritty win in a $32,000 handicap at a mile on the turf at Ellis Park. Under Corey Lanerie, Sarge Hudson tracked the early pace, ranged up three-wide, then battled tenaciously to a neck victory, while giving three pounds to the runner-up. Out of the Cozzene mare Winikins, he was bred in Kentucky by Builder’s Mart, Inc., and is owned by Paul Morsches Jr.