Lady Speightspeare wins Natalma, gains BC Juvenile Fillies Turf spot

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - The favored Lady Speightspeare made her stakes debut a winning one while earning a fees-paid berth into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in Sunday’s Grade 1, $253,000 Natalma at Woodbine.

Lady Speightspeare ($7) tracked pacesetter Big Big Plans through honest fractions in the one-mile test for 2-year-old fillies, with Dreaming of Drew stalking along the rail in third through the turn.

Lady Speightspeare went by Big Big Plans inside the three-sixteenths pole, and then took control before holding off another 5-2 shot, Alda, in a three-quarter-length score.

Seasons rallied belatedly from seventh for third. She was followed by Dreaming of Drew, Sleek Lynx, Stunning Princess, and Big Big Plans.

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Emma-Jayne Wilson got a leg up from trainer Roger Attfield on Lady Speightspeare, who was all business in the race after acting up in the gate. She was coming off a front-running debut victory on the grass.

“She relaxed better than I expected, but I wasn’t overly surprised,” Wilson said. “In her first start, she ran to the lead with gumption, and it took me by surprise. Today, there was a little more pace in the race. I didn’t want to get caught up in between. When we’ve trained her since then, she’s known more and settled more. I was hopeful that would translate into the race today, and it did.”

A powerful chestnut by Speightstown, Lady Speightspeare earned $150,000 for owner-breeder Charles Fipke.

Attfield predicted that Fipke would have no qualms with running Lady Speightspeare back in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland in November.

“Knowing Mr. Fipke, I’d say we probably are (going),” said Attfield, who has won the Natalma three times.