NEWS
Canada-based fillies sweep top three spots in Lake George
Posted: Wednesday, July 28, 2010 6:51 PM
PERFECT SHIRL
Adam Coglianese/NYRA photo
For video of the Lake George Stakes, click here.
by Mike Curry
Canada-based fillies swept the top three places in the $150,000 Lake George Stakes (G2) as Perfect Shirl shook off Exclusive Love in the final sixteenth for a three-quarter-length victory on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.
Trained by Roger Attfield for owner-breeder Charles Fipke, Perfect Shirl earned her first career stakes win in the Lake George, covering 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.28 on firm turf under John Velazquez.
“It worked out perfectly. She broke well, and was nice and relaxed in the middle of the pack,” Velazquez said. “I committed to holding my position, and then when I asked her, she responded very well. The only thing assistant [trainer Sue Lorimer] told me was not to be on the lead—very simple instructions!”
The Perfect Soul (Ire) filly raced in sixth as Go Ask Alex controlled the pace through a sprightly half-mile in :47.76 and accelerated into contention from three wide on the final turn. Exclusive Love seized command near the eighth pole but could not turn back the winner.
Perfect Shirl, a half sister to multiple Grade 1 winner Shakespeare, entered off consecutive wins at Woodbine in a June 13 maiden special weight race and a July 11 allowance race and was sent off at 9.30-to-1 odds.
Exclusive Love, trained by Mark Casse and also based at Woodbine, finished second at odds of 57-to-1.
“I run against Roger Attfield every day in Canada, and I had to come here to get beat by him,” Casse said. “I was very happy with the way she ran.”
Exclusive Love held off fast-closing third-place finisher No Explaining (Ire), a stablemate of Perfect Shirl, by a half-length.
“They both ran the races they usually run,” Lorimer said of Perfect Shirl and No Explaining. “Roger had given the riders the instructions to just sit off it and let them come with one run, and both did that. It looked like No Explaining got into a little traffic there down the lane or they might have run one-two. Roger will get them back to Woodbine and go from there.”
Kentucky-bred Perfect Shirl is out of Grade 1 winner Lady Shirl, by That’s a Nice. She also is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Lady Shakespeare and Grade 2-placed stakes winner Fantastic Shirl. She improved to three wins from six starts and more than doubled her earnings to $170,557.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor
