A smashing debut winner, Shirl’s Speight continued to impress while stepping up to stakes competition in Saturday’s $125,000 Marine (G3) at Woodbine, rolling to a 2 3/4-length decision. The 3-year-old son of Speightstown switched from turf to the Tapeta main track and completed 1 1/16 miles in a swift 1:43.42.
Roger Attfield trains the Charles Fipke homebred and Rafael Hernandez has been up for both starts.
Favored at 1.05-1 odds, Shirl’s Speight stalked pacesetter Untitled in second, about a length back through opening splits of :24.59 and :48.68, and advanced to closer terms entering the far turn. The bay colt seized control and drew off in upper stretch, cruising home to a comfortable win.
Lucky Curlin, the 2-1 second choice, rallied for second, 1 1/2 lengths better than 19-1 third-placer Dotted Line. Untitled, Glorious Tribute, Lookinatamiracle, and Perfect Revenge came next under the wire.
Shirl’s Speight was exiting an eight-length wire-to-wire romp in a 7-furlong turf maiden special weight at Woodbine on July 4. The Kentucky-bred hails from a regal female family. He is out of Perfect Shirl, who captured the 2011 Breeders’ Cup Filly & mart Turf (G1), and the daughter of Perfect Soul is out of Grade 1 winner Lady Shirl, dam of Grade 1 victor and sire Shakespeare; and Grade 2 winner Lady Shakespeare.
In the $125,000 Selene (G3) for 3-year-old fillies, Two Sixty broke on top and posted a wire-to-wire upset at 9-1 odds. Emma-Jayne Wilson was up on the daughter of Uncaptured for Mark Casse, and Two Sixty snapped a three-race string of unplaced finishes. She finished the 1 1/16-mile trip on Tapeta in 1:45.01.
Owned by Gary Barber, Two Sixty notched her third stakes win improving her overall record to 11-4-1-1. The Florida-bred captured the My Dear division of the Florida Sire Series last September, and she opened this year with a victory in the 7-furlong Gasparilla S. at Tampa Bay Downs.
Two Sixty led by a couple of lengths down the backstretch, recording opening splits in :24.12 and :48.81, and she took pressure nearing the completion of the far turn. The bay filly kept grinding away on a short lead through the stretch, prevailing by three-quarters of a length.
Saratoga Vision, winless from 11 starts and easily the longest shot at 85-1, closed well from last for second, a half-length better than 1.25-1 favorite Owlette in third. Merveilleux, the 1.60-1 second choice, wound up another half-length back in fourth and was followed by Diamond Sparkles, Live in the Six, and American Tap.
Bred by Shade Tree Thoroughbreds, Two Sixty was purchased for $250,000 at the 2019 OBS March two-year-old sale. She’s out of the Put It Back mare Jim’s Lonesa, a half-sister to stakes winners Jay’s Way, Who What Win, and Ayoumilove.
