Lady Speightspeare outruns Dreaming of Drew in Trillium Stakes

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Lady Speightspeare remained unbeaten on the Tapeta with a handy score under Emma-Jayne Wilson in Saturday’s Grade 3, $158,200 Trillium Stakes at Woodbine.

Lady Speightspeare ($4.10) stalked three-wide in fourth along the backstretch in the 1 1/16-mile event. Dreaming of Drew inherited the lead from pacesetter Lovely Ride at the three-eighths pole, as Lady Speightspeare made her way into contention.

Lady Speightspeare assumed command early in the stretch and outran a persistent Dreaming of Drew to prevail by 1 1/4 lengths, in a time of 1:45.75. Kate’s Kingdom closed belatedly to finish another three lengths back third in the 12-horse field.

Lady Speightspeare, Canada’s champion 2-year-old filly in 2020, won her only other synthetic track excursion easily in the Grade 2 Bessarabian here in November. She was coming off a victory in the Grade 2 Nassau here in a dead heat on the turf.

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“It was a little different (for her) today, a mile and a sixteenth on the synthetic,” Wilson said. “She’s been working lights-out on the synthetic. She does everything effortlessly for the most part, anyway. I was quite confident. The trip was a little different than expected, with a little more pace in there. I tried to get her to settle, and she did. She was primed and ready.”

A daughter of Speightstown trained by Roger Attfield, Lady Speightspeare earned $90,000 for owner-breeder Charles Fipke.

*** Secret Reserve ($22.70) came from well back to take Saturday’s Grade 3 Bold Venture, with Eswan Flores riding for trainer Mike Mattine.

Nobals, the 7-2 favorite in the 13-horse field, set an honest pace while being pressed by Roaring Forties in the 6 1/2-furlong sprint.

Secret Reserve broke a tad slowly from the inside post and then bided his time about eight lengths off the lead on the backstretch.

Flores angled Secret Reserve outside in midstretch, and they proceeded to rally for a half-length tally over Candy Overload, who edged out a hanging Avie’s Flatter for second.

By Giant Gizmo, Secret Reserve earned $108,000 of the $180,100 purse for the partnership of Stacey Van Camp and Carlo D’Amato.