Delaware Park: Southwest Lady wins Irish Sonnet Stakes

Southwest Lady held off the fast-closing Con Gee and Stormin Wendy to win the $51,225 Irish Sonnet Stakes by a half-length Monday at Delaware Park.

With Daniel Centeno aboard, Southwest Lady was fourth in the field of six juvenile fillies early on, as Witch Alert and Respectful Wishes dueled on the front end, building a four-length lead after a quarter-mile in 23.09 seconds and a half-mile in 46.53. As the two leaders began to tire, Southwest Lady moved into contention.

Southwest Lady angled out three wide to surge to the front while leaving the second turn in the one-mile test and led by two lengths at the head of the lane. Con Gee, who had stalked the pace in third most of the way, was four wide leaving the final turn and made up ground down the stretch, but she couldn’t catch the winner, who finished in 1:43.06 on a fast track.

Southwest Lady paid $8 as the third choice. The favored Con Gee nosed out Stormin Wendy for second, with Money for Maria, Respectful Wishes, and Witch Alert rounding out the order of finish.

A homebred daughter of Sightseeing running for Kelynack Farms and trainer Ricky Griffith, Southwest Lady has won 3 of 5 starts and earned $82,085. The Ontario-bred filly entered Monday’s race off a 2 1/2-length win in a $75,000 optional claimer on a sloppy Delaware Park strip Aug. 22.