Shirl's Speight Tries Dirt in G1 at Tokyo Racecourse

While Japanese dirt-racing specialists fan out around the globe in search of riches and glory, a surprise North American runner will take on the locals in the February Stakes (G1) on the Tokyo Racecourse dirt Feb. 19.

Shirl's Speight , a Charles Fipke homebred, was last seen finishing second, just three-quarters of a length behind Modern Games , in the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1T) on the Keeneland turf. While he has competed on dirt and all-weather surfaces, the bulk of his career and his greatest achievements have come at about one mile on the green course.

A victory in Tokyo would point in a totally different direction as the February Stakes is a "Win and You're In" for the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1).

Trainer Roger Attfield said he has his doubts about the experiment, pointing to Fipke as the instigator.

"Actually, it was the owner of the horse's idea to do this," Attfield told a pre-race news conference. "He was quite adamant that he wanted to try him on the dirt here. I've always been a bit apprehensive about that because he's only run twice on the dirt, and they hadn't been that great a race … I just have my fingers crossed."

For all of that, Attfield reported Shirl's Speight is in good shape, saying he'd eaten well throughout the journey and lost virtually no weight.

"He's a very versatile horse but watching videos of him here and watching him this morning, he looks like he's handling the track very well and if he can run to his true ability, he will be very competitive," Attfield said. But will the horse perform at or near his best?

"It is unknown to me," he said.

Adding to Attfield's concerns, Shirl's Speight drew the No. 2 gate in a field of 16.

"A wider draw would have been more preferable but we'll have to cope with it," he said. "The jockey will."

That jockey is former Hong Kong champion Joao Moriera, who left Hong Kong in December after a prolonged bout with injuries. Moreira earlier in his career planned to ride regularly in Japan but was unable to clear the strict licensing requirements including language proficiency.

The Japanese tilt isn't Fipke's only ongoing international experiment. He also has Shirl's Bee  in training in Dubai with Doug Watson. That colt won his first start, then finished second to Tall Boy  in the UAE Two Thousand Guineas (G3) and is a candidate for the UAE Derby (G2) on World Cup night.

The February Stakes is one of only two grade 1 events on the dirt on the Japanese racing calendar and usually is a key to year-end honors in that category. This time around, however, two-time February Stakes winner Café Pharoah is part of the Japanese contingent headed for Saudi Arabia as a contender in the $20 million Saudi Cup (G1), leaving the field slightly diminished.

Perhaps the strongest local contender is 7-year-old Red le Zele , who finished fourth and sixth in the last two runnings of the February Stakes—likely a bit beyond his best distance. The son of Lord Kanaloa  finished second in the 2022 Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1) and trainer Takayuki Yasuda said he's juggling potential international assignments for the veteran.

"I thought about Saudi Arabia with him," Yasuda said, "but then considered that it would be better to go to the February Stakes and to train him on the uphill at Ritto (training center) in preparation for this. If all goes well after this next race, we can make the decision to go to Dubai or not."

Lemon Pop , a 5-year-old son of Lemon Drop Kid , has won seven of 10 starts for Godolphin and comes to the February off a win in the Negishi Stakes in January but will have to step up again to figure in at the grade 1 level.

"He's had 10 starts in his career, but he always comes out of his races well, and that was the case last time, too," said Lemon Pop's trainer Hiroyasu Tanaka. "I feel as an American-bred that there's still more to come from him. He's well-balanced and is an easy horse to ride, which means we can work him well between races."

Dry Stout , a 4-year-old colt by Sinister Minister , won the Zen Nippon Nisai Yushun, a leg of the "Japan Road to the Kentucky Derby" in 2021 but has made only three starts since then, reporting second in a 1,400-meter dirt event at Chukyo Racecourse in January.

The February Stakes starts on the grass on the Tokyo Racecourse backstretch before quickly merging into the dirt course. It proceeds left-handed around one sweeping turn and through the uphill stretch climb to the finish.