Dean’s List, Otago give Speightstown a Sunday stakes double

Speightstown chalked up a pair of stakes winners on the final Sunday of March to give the perennial leading sire a total of 10 stakes horses to date in 2023. And on Saturday’s Dubai World Cup card the venerable Switzerland was second by a nose in the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen (G1), a race he won last year.

Back in the U. S., Dean’s List was a winner of the $100,000 Bill Thomas Memorial S. at Sunland Park and Otago was victorious in the $100,000 Sophomore Turf S. at Tampa Bay Downs.

Four-year-old Dean’s List, who was bred by WinStar Farm, was twice stakes-placed before his breakthrough win on Sunday. The chestnut colt was always close to the pace in the 6 ½-furlong race and after a stretch-long duel, won by a neck in a three-horse photo.

Dean’s List is now an excellent 5-2-0 in eight starts and has earned $261,020 for owners Judge Lanier Racing and James L. Drought.

Otago, bred by Courtney Meagher & Speightstown Syndicate got his first stakes win on Sunday as well, winning the 1 1/16-mile turf contest for 3-year-olds by a neck over stakes winner Boppy O.

Otago is owned by the partnership of Crown’s Way Racing LLC, NBS Stable, Edward Delava and Eli Diamant. Second in last year’s Laurel Futurity S., Otago is 2-1-1 in five starts and has earned $129,225.