Queen Arella Becomes First Winner for Speightster

J Stables' Queen Arella overcame trouble leaving the gate and scored a widening four-length debut victory May 29 at Gulfstream Park, providing sire Speightster  with his first winner from his first crop.

Queen Arella ($18.80), foaled in New York, had to be checked sharply in early traffic by jockey Miguel Vasquez, but the WinStar Farm-bred filly recovered to make an extended wide run around the turn. She caught the leaders in midstretch and powered away late in the $42,000 race, finishing five furlongs on a fast track in :59.54.

Trained by Roderick Rodriguez, Queen Arella was a bargain $1,000 purchase by Eduardo Prado at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October Yearlings Sale from the Woodford Thoroughbreds consignment. She is out of the Unbridled's Song mare Unbridled Sonya, who was trained by Rodriguez for three starts of her nine-race career.

She is her dam's second winner from as many foals to race. The other, Winning Impression (by Paynter ), is 1-for-7 with earnings of $68,730.

Speightster, a son of Speightstown  who stands at WinStar Farm near Versailles, Ky., for $10,000, won his first three races, all at 3, including the 2015 Dwyer Stakes (G3) at Belmont Park. He was retired after one start at 4, an eighth-place finish in the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2). Speightster raced for WinStar Farm and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott.

A WinStar homebred, Speightster hails from the Danzig mare Dance Swiftly, a full sister to champion Dance Smartly and half sister to leading sire Smart Strike.