Lady Shipman speeds to easy win in Crank It Up

Lady Shipman looked superior to her rivals in Saturday’s $60,000 Crank It Up Stakes for 3-year-old fillies sprinting on turf at Monmouth Park and that’s exactly how the race played out.

Sent to the front by jockey Eduardo Nunez, Lady Shipman ($3) cruised to a 1 1/2-length victory, collecting her fifth win in six starts since last November. In winning her third stakes this season for trainer Kathleen O’Connell and owner Ranlo Investments, Lady Shipman covered 5 1/2 furlongs on firm turf in 1:04.48.

“She just broke perfectly from the gate and went out to the lead,” said Nunez. “She does her best running out front. She had plenty left in the tank heading for home. She answered the call beautifully.”

Quaver, coming off a maiden victory at Belmont Park, finished second, 6 3/4 lengths clear of Harlan’s Honor, the winner of last summer’s Colleen Stakes at Monmouth.