Speightstown’s dynamic 3-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare rolled to a four-length win in Saturday’s $175,000 Bessarabian S. (G2) at Woodbine, making the Charles Fipke homebred a perfect four-for-four lifetime.
Lady Speightspeare always looked like she had the field measured in Saturday’s seven-furlong contest, her first start on the main track. She tracked in second just behind Our Secret Agent for five furlongs, then willingly took over at the top of the stretch. She drew off easily in the final furlong to finish up in an excellent 1:21.03.
“I’d love to say that I was the engineer, but there were so many cogs to this wheel,” said winning rider Emma-Jayne Wilson. “There were so many people involved in getting this filly to the winner’s circle today. She was fractious in the gate at Keenland (when scratched out of the G1 QEII), we all know that. (Trainer Attfield) Roger’s plan, and his tutelage, he’s one of the best. He zoned-in on her and in combination between the gallop crew and the gate crew, and everybody at the barn just getting her into the right frame of mind, she was on her “A” game today. It’s truly a team effort. I get to ride around out there, but I mean, she’s pretty spiffy. I think anybody can get her around there.”
Lady Speightspeare, who is owned by her breeder Charles Fipke, scored her previous three wins on the Woodbine turf, including last year’s Natalma S. (G1). Saturday’s win increased her earnings to $264,779.
Speightstown is once again among the leading sires of North America this year, with progeny earnings topping $14.2 million, nine graded stakes winners, and 21 graded stakes horses to date. His 2022 fee was recently announced at $90,000 S&N.
