Regally-bred Lady Speightspeare a TDN Rising Star in debut

Perennial leading sire Speightstown got his 19th lifetime TDN Rising Star Saturday when the 2-year-old filly Lady Speightspeare was a sharp debut winner on the Woodbine turf course.

The chestnut filly made a bold move just a sixteenth of a mile after the start, splitting horses to assume command. She led the rest of the way, easily dispatching a challenge by Angelou in mid-stretch to win by nearly four lengths in 1:20.93 for the seven furlongs on the firm turf.

Lady Speightstpeare is owned by her breeder Charles Fipke. She is out of Fipke’s Lady Shakespeare, who was a two-time graded stakes winners and is a full sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Shakespeare and a half-sister to Breeders’ Cup winner Perfect Shirl, who is the dam of Speightstown’s Kentucky Derby (G1) hopeful Shirl’s Speight.

Speightstown is currently second on the 2020 General Sire list by progeny earnings, with more than $7.3 million, and leads all sires with five Grade 1 horses.