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Speightstown ‘Rising Star’ Runs Back to Debut to Dominate Marine

Well-bred SHIRL’S SPEIGHT (c, 3, Speightstown–Perfect Shirl, by Perfect Soul {Ire}) turned in one of the more impressive debuts of 2020 when he demolished nine rivals in front-running fashion over seven grassy furlongs here July 4, and the ‘TDN Rising Star’ handled two turns and Tapeta just as well Saturday to make the grade in Woodbine’s GIII Marine S. Away well from the outside seven post, the even-money favorite was content to sit second locked on to the frontrunner’s right hip through splits of :24.59 and :48.68. He was asked for more by Rafael Hernandez heading into the bend, took over seemingly a bit early midway around the turn and kept finding from there under confident handling to cruise to a 2 1/2-length victory in 1:43.42. Second choice Lucky Curlin (Curlin) completed the exacta with Dotted Line (Signature Red) checking in third. Shirl’s Speight becomes the 112th stakes winner and 55th graded winner for his top sire. The winner’s dam upset the 2011 GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf at 27-1 for this same owner/breeder and trainer. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0. O/B-Charles E. Fipke (Ky). T-Roger L. Attfield.

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Owlette Eyes Woodbine’s Selene

Ten Broeck Farm’s Owlette (Frac Daddy) looks to record her fourth stakes win in Saturday’s GIII Selene S. at Woodbine.

Conditioned by Wesley Ward, the Ontario-bred filly took last year’s Shady Well S. and Victorian Queen S. and subsequently won the June 13 Star Shoot S. in her 2020 bow. Never worse than second in six career starts, including four wins over Woodbine’s Tapeta, Owlette will be joined for the first time by Luis Contreras.

Always armed and dangerous at Woodbine, Mark Casse saddles a pair of fillies for Gary Barber–American Tap (Tapiture) and Two Sixty (Uncaptured)–in addition to Diamond Sparkles (War Front), campaigned by the partnership of Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners.

Diamond Sparkles made her North American debut in last September’s GI Natalma S., finishing fourth behind Abscond (Blame). In her latest start, while making her debuting over Woodbine’s main track June 13, she finished second.

“She came over from Europe, ran pretty good in the Natalma, and then struggled a little bit through the winter,” said Casse of Diamond Sparkles. “I thought her last race was good and she’s training well. We’re going to give her a shot.”

A victory by Casse in Saturday’s Selene, a stepping stone to the Aug. 15 Woodbine Oaks, would be a record sixth win, tying him with Yonnie Starr. Casse and Barber teamed to take the 2018 edition with Miss Mo Mentum followed by Power Gal last year.

Also a fan of the Woodbine Tapeta, Merveilleux (Paynter) was runner-up in last falls’s Princess Elizabeth S. and Ontario Lassie S. Trained by Kevin Attard, she came home a winner in her sole 2020 start, a June 21 allowance over 8 1/2 furlongs.

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TDN Rising Star Shirl’s Speight Heads Marine

Despite facing more seasoned rivals in Saturday’s GIII Marine S. at Woodbine, Shirl’s Speight (Speightstown) looms large in the traditional primer for the Queen’s Plate, scheduled for Sept. 12. Sent off at 3-1 for a trainer not typically known for his first-time starters, the Roger Attfield trainee took control in the early going of the seven-furlong turf test July 4 and rolled home an emphatic eight-length winner under Rafael Hernandez, becoming a TDN Rising Star in the process. The Charles Fipke hombred is out of Perfect Shirl (Perfect Soul {Ire})–a daughter of GISW Lady Shirl (That’s Nice)–who annexed the 2011 GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Turf.

On the other end of the spectrum, John Oxley’s Lucky Curlin (Curlin) will be making his 10th start in the 1 1/16-mile contest. The Mark Casse-conditioned colt needed six tries to get off the duck at two, and finally earned the distinction via DQ in a sloppy six-panel affair at the Fair Grounds in December. Off the board in a pair of stakes at the New Orleans oval over the winter, the homebred came from off the pace to score last time in Etobicoke over the Marine’s course and distance June 14.

“He’s a horse that’s disappointed me, to be honest,” said Casse. “We were always thinking, ‘If he ever gets his act together..’ He was a horse early on that we thought was as good as [Grade III winner] Enforceable [Tapit]. And of course, Enforceable is going to the [GI] Kentucky Derby.”

“His last race, from a Beyer standpoint, was very good. I wasn’t surprised, but it was pleasant. He’s been extremely frustrating for us because we’ve had high hopes for him. There are horses whose abilities are limited. He hasn’t been that way. So, we’ll see how he handles two turns. I’m still not positive that he isn’t a come-from-behind sprinter. But we’re going to give it a try.”

Among Queen’s Plate eligible runners is Dotted Line (Signature Red), listed at 18-1 in the Queen’s Plate winterbook. The winner of three starts in 2019, including a pair of stakes over the Tapeta, the Sid Attard trained gelding finished fifth in Woodine’s seven-panel Queeneston S. against fellow Ontario breds July 4.

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CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale Catalog Now Online

The catalog for the 2020 Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (Ontario Division) Canadian Premier Yearling Sale is now online, featuring 230 horses on offer.

This year's sale will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2 at the Woodbine Sales Pavilion at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario, beginning at noon Eastern.

Graduates of the Canadian Premier Yearling Sale are eligible for a quartet of stakes races at Woodbine, with two each for colts and fillies. Male graduates will be eligible for the $250,000 Simcoe Stakes at two and the $135,000 Elgin Stakes at three, while the fillies will be offered the $250,000 Muskoka Stakes at two and the $135,000 Algoma Stakes at three.

The horses will also be eligible for CTHS Canadian Sales Stakes Series races in British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba with some additional nominating fees.

Stallions whose first crops of yearlings are represented in the catalog include Connect, Gormley, Passion for Action, Perfect Timber, and War Correspondent.

To view the online catalog, click here.

The post CTHS Canadian Premier Yearling Sale Catalog Now Online appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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