Lady Speightspeare takes Bessarabian, Skygaze wins Maple Leaf
ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Reigning Canadian champion 2-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare made quite a splash in her first start on Tapeta in Saturday’s Grade 2, $175,350 Bessarabian at Woodbine, beating older rivals by four lengths under Emma-Jayne Wilson.
Lady Speightspeare ($12.90) dueled up front early with Our Secret Agent before conceding the lead to that favored rival approaching the half-mile pole.
Lady Speightspeare came back on to assume command entering the stretch before coasting home on top in a time of 1:21.03 for the seven furlongs.
Our Secret Agent held on for second over a closing La Libertee. Aug Lutes, Gidgetta, Emmeline, Tuned, and Juxtapose completed the order of finish.
Trained by Roger Attfield, Lady Speightspeare is unbeaten in four starts. She won her belated season opener in a second-level allowance Sept. 6, after which she was scratched after acting up in the gate in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II at Keeneland.
“When we went to Keeneland, what happened with her there was so upsetting because she was so good,” Attfield said. “I really loved her in that race, and it was an important race. I got her back here, and we had lots of options with different places to go. I didn’t want to leave here until I got a piece of mind at the gate, and so we spent a lot of time on this. The gate crew here have been very good, and Emma was great. It all came together.
“I wasn’t really sure how she would handle the synthetic. She handled it okay. We always thought she was quite a bit better on the turf. I still think she is.”
A daughter of Speightstown, Lady Speightspeare earned $105,000 for owner-breeder Charles Fipke.
Skygaze wins Maple Leaf
Favored Skygaze established herself as the leading contender for honors as Canadian champion older female on the main track for 2021 with an easy score in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf on Saturday.
Skygaze ($8.30) stalked along the inside in third in the 1 1/4-mile event before hitting the front near the quarter pole, and then drew off to prevail by 4 1/2 lengths in a time of 2:03.65.
Sister Otoole edged out Merveilleux for second in the 10-horse field of fillies and mares.
A daughter of American Pharoah trained by Mark Casse, Skygaze collected $90,000 of the $153,800 purse for owner Tracy Farmer.