Shane's Girlfriend makes an impression, then leaves town

VINTON, La. - Trainer Doug O’Neill was still in awe Sunday of the performance Shane’s Girlfriend gave the day before, when she rolled by 13 1/4 lengths in the Grade 3, $400,000 Delta Downs Princess.

“Wow,” he said. “That filly ran lights out.”

Shane’s Girlfriend not only set a stakes record when she covered the mile, run on a six-furlong track in 1:37.98, but she also earned the year’s second-highest Beyer Speed Figure for a 2-year-old filly, a 96.

And almost as quick as Shane’s Girlfriend wrapped up the Princess, she was gone, leaving Delta Downs early Sunday morning to catch a flight back to her base of Southern California. Her schedule going forward is to be determined said O’Neill, who long-range would like to see Shane’s Girlfriend develop into a candidate for the Kentucky Oaks, for which she earned 10 eligibility points Saturday.

“We're just going to do whatever’s in her best interest,” O’Neill said. “I'll huddle up with the ownership group. We’ll put our heads together. I really think there's a good chance we wouldn't run her again until next year.

“You’ve got to think the first Friday in May when you get a nice 2-year-old filly. That’s the ultimate goal at this point, and you work backwards from there.”

Shane's Girlfriend is undefeated in two starts. She won her debut Oct. 28 at Santa Anita, when she romped by 5 3/4 lengths in a maiden special weight sprint. She covered six furlongs in a sharp 1:10.40 and after the race was supplemented to the Princess for $4,500, on the day pre-entries were taken Nov. 1.

O’Neill said he was impressed with the maturity the lightly raced Shane’s Girlfriend showed over the weekend, handling all the new variables that came with making both her stakes and two-turn debut - while on the road.

“She’s always acted like a filly older than she is,” he said. “Just to ship her to Delta after an impressive debut and for her to handle the paddock and the whole scenario so well – what a great asset. She just showed a lot of class, and obviously, in the race itself, showed a lot of ability.”

Shane’s Girlfriend is owned by the partnership of W.C. Racing, ERJ Racing, and Dennis O’Neill, the brother of Doug.

Shane’s Girlfriend was the first graded stakes winner for the ERJ Racing Stable of Erik Johnson, an all-star defenseman for the National Hockey League’s Colorado Avalanche. Johnson, who has been involved in ownership for three years, said he watched the race on his phone from a hotel room because he had a game Saturday night in Minnesota.

The Avalanche won, too.