Bleecker Street, Shirl's Speight Rally to Tampa Scores

Peter Brant's Bleecker Street  powered home in the Tampa Bay Downs turf stretch to pass grade 1 winner Lady Speightspeare  and remain undefeated in the $150,000 Endeavour Stakes (G3T). The 4-year-old Quality Road   filly is now 4-for-4 after acing her stakes debut in the 1 1/16-mile test for fillies and mares.

Hector Rafael Diaz Jr. has been in the irons on Bleecker Street for each of her starts. In the Endeavour, he settled her in seventh along the rail in the nine-horse field. After saving ground, he tipped her out in upper stretch for running room before she split foes to run down 4-5 favorite Lady Speightspeare, who had gained the lead in the stretch. 

The Chad Brown-trained Bleecker Street, whose prior wins have come in far easier maiden, allowance, and allowance options claiming races, surged past on her way to 1 1/2-length victory. The final time on the firm course was 1:41.91.

"She never gave me that turn of foot before. Not like that. She's doing everything perfect," Diaz said. "Today was her best race, by far. The effort she put in was great. I have to thank God and Chad and his entire crew for this opportunity. They've done an amazing job with this filly. I knew she had to prove herself today against these kind of horses, but I was confident she could do it. I saw that green light in the stretch and she just took off, and the rest is history."

The pace was set by Katama Moonlight , who led through fractions of :23.44, :48.03, and 1:11.92 with Lady Speightspeare applying pressure from second. Though the favorite took command easily at the top of the stretch under Emma-Jayne Wilson, Bleecker Street's late run proved too much. Lady Speightspeare settled for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of Stunning Princess , who was third throughout. 

"I wouldn't give her any excuses," Wilson said of Lady Speightspeare. "She had everything go as well as it could be. We had a good run at it—we were just second-best."

Bleecker Street paid $16 on a $2 win ticket.

"Four-for-four, and she's done it on three different courses," Brown said. "And (Diaz) has ridden her all four times. I'm very proud of him. She had a good post (No. 2), the trip worked out real good, and she showed a super turn of foot. This filly took time to come around, and my whole staff has done an unbelievable job with her. And Mr. Brant, the owner, is so patient. We scratched In Italian  because we thought bringing her back inside a month was a little soon, and it worked out so well. (Bleecker Street) was 7-1 and stepped up for us."

Bleecker Street was bred in Kentucky by Branch Equine. She is the second foal out of the stakes-winning Exchange Rate  mare Lemon Liqueur  whose first foal, First Rate (Honor Code  ), is also a winner. Lemon Liqueur also has a 2-year-old Always Dreaming   filly and a yearling Flatter   filly. She was bred to Not This Time   for 2022.

Brant's White Birch Farm purchased Bleecker Street for $400,000 in 2019 from Warrendale Sales' consignment to The Saratoga Sale, Fasig-Tipton's select yearling sale in New York. The filly won on debut last August at Monmouth Park, followed by two allowance-level wins at the Meadowlands and Tampa, and now has earned $165,900.

Video: Endeavour S. (G3T)

Shirl's Speight Passes Get Smokin

Charles Fipke's homebred Shirl's Speight  has started off 2022 with two straight wins at Tampa Bay Downs for trainer Roger Attfield, running down defending winner Get Smokin  in the $150,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (G3T) Saturday to add to a Jan. 15 allowance optional claiming win.

Wilson, who also piloted Lady Speightspeare to a runner-up finish in the Endeavour for the same connections, was aboard Shirl's Speight for the Tampa Bay victory.

"It was a beautiful race, no question. I liked the way he did it today—I don't really want him to be speed all the time, but he's got a lot of speed," Attfield said. "(Wilson) rode him very well. And our filly, (Lady Speightspeare), ran very well for everything she has been through, so it's been a good day. I definitely thought (Get Smokin) was the horse to beat."

Shirl's Speight  was seventh through the first quarter-mile of :23.41 set by Get Smokin and into sixth as fractions passed in :47.95 and 1:11.91. The 7-2 favorite L'Imperator  was near the back of the 12-horse field after an awkward break.

Get Smokin opened up by two lengths in the stretch looking like he could successfully repeat, but with Shirl's Speight saving ground on the far turn, Wilson then guided her mount three wide and reeled in the pacesetter. 

The 5-year-old Speightstown   horse crossed the finish line 1 1/2 lengths in front, completing the 1 1/16 miles 1:41.20. He paid $21.

"Good horses come around and they'll show their stuff when the time is right," Wilson said. "I was interested to see how the pace was going to set up. Last time he was a little keen, but today he settled off the pace nice and the way they kind of ran away from him early, I just wanted to make sure he relaxed and I got into position where he was comfortable and not having to use him too much. I had to thread the needle a little down the lane, but good horses will overcome adversity and he shot through there like he was shot out of a cannon. Roger is a Hall of Famer, and he knows how to have them primed and ready."

Get Smokin stayed on for second, a half-length ahead of Floriform  who had pressed the pace.

Trainer Mark Casse, who sent out Get Smokin for the first time in the Tampa Bay, said: "We've lost a lot to Roger. He's a wonderful guy and a class act, and good for him. I'm extremely proud of our horse. He ran a big race and this will set him up for bigger things."

Kentucky-bred Shirl's Speight was produced from the Perfect Soul  mare Perfect Shirl , winner of the 2011 Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1T) for Attfield and Fipke. Perfect Shirl also produced grade 3-placed Speightstown Shirl , another Speightstown offspring. She has a yearling More Than Ready   filly and was bred back to Speightstown for 2022.

Shirl's Speight increased his earnings to $208,615 and now holds a 4-0-1 record in eight starts.

Video: Tampa Bay S. (G3T)