by Mike Curry

A spirited duel for the lead through testing fractions was not enough to slow down River’s Prayer, who remained undefeated this year and earned her first Grade 1 win with a half-length score in the $500,000 Princess Rooney Handicap (G1) on Saturday at Calder Race Course.

The race was the featured event of the eighth annual Summit of Speed, a program of eight sprint stakes that include three other graded stakes.

The four-year-old Devon Lane filly broke alertly under jockey Clinton Potts and pressed pacesetter and 2.40-to-1 favorite Shaggy Mane through a blistering opening quarter in :21.56 and a half-mile in :44.49 in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares. Shaggy Mane and River’s Prayer surged in tandem into the stretch with a clear lead and the duo battled through the lane.

River’s Prayer gradually inched away to prevail in 1:10.66 on a track rated as good.

“This was her race to step up and see how good she really is, and she came through,” said winning trainer Paula Capestro, who co-owns River’s Prayer with Bantry Farms and Martin Racing Stables. “It’s the biggest win of my career, and now we can look forward to the Breeders’ Cup [Filly & Mare Sprint].”

Shaggy Mane held on gamely to finish second, a half-length in front of fast-closing G City Gal.

River’s Prayer opened the year on March 17 at Santa Anita Park with a 1 1/4-length score in the Irish O’Brien Stakes, a 6 1/2-furlong turf race. She followed with a win in the Las Cienegas Handicap (G3), also on the downhill turf course at Santa Anita, and entered off a two-length win in the six-furlong Great Lady M Stakes at Hollywood.

“We always thought her speed figures stacked up well,” Capestro said. “We’ll take her back to California to the training center at San Luis Rey Downs and give her a little break.”

Bred in California by Vessels Stallion Farm, River’s Prayer is out of the winning Cozzene mare Cozzy Flyer. She improved to eight wins in 15 starts and increased her career earnings to $801,958.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times daily news editor