Lithe Spirit holds off Nice as Pie to take Wishing Well at 14-1

Jan 26, 2025 Jennie Rees No Comments

Turfway Park stakes recap and advance by publicist Kevin Kerstein (Coady Media photo of Lithe Spirit winning the Wishing Well under Joe Ramos)

FLORENCE, Ky. (Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025) – Bradley Thoroughbreds, Gainesway Stable, Laura Leigh Stable, Scott Estes, and Cambron Equine‘s Lithe Spirit delivered a stunning 14-1 upset in Saturday night’s 32^nd running of the $124,915 Wishing Well Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming under a perfect ride by Joe Ramos for trainer Steve Asmussen.

In the early stages of the 6 ½ furlong contest, Lithe Spirit was content to settle in sixth up the backside, tracking a spirited early pace set by B G Warrior, Awesome Treat, Into Love, Sunday Shoes and Julias Dream. The opening quarter-mile was contested in a brisk :22.94, with Ramos keeping Lithe Spirit in striking range about four lengths off the lead.

As the field approached the far turn, after a half-mile in :46.34, Ramos guided Lithe Spirit four-wide into the clear, with three pacesetters still in front—B G Warrior on the rail, Awesome Treat in between and Into Love in the three path. At the top of the stretch, Lithe Spirit struck the front but had to fend off a late surge from 8-5 favorite Nice as Pie, who was rallying down the center of the course. Lithe Spirit dug in gamely and had enough left to hold off the favorite by 1 ¼ lengths in a final time of 1:19.09.

Awesome Treat edged B G Warrior for third. The order of finish was completed by Driana, Opera Mundi (IRE), Laura’s Charm, Baby No Worries, Julias Dream, Into Love, and Sunday Shoes.

At odds of 14-1, Lithe Spirit rewarded her backers with $2 mutuel payouts of $30.80, $10.90 and $5.54. Nice as Pie returned $3.40 and $2.74, while Awesome Treat paid $5.20 to show.

Lithe Spirit earned a career-best 87 Brisnet Speed Rating for her victory, improving her record to an impressive 9-5-0-1 with purse earnings of $194,371.

A 4-year-old daughter of Speightstown out of the Ghostzapper mare Spooky Woods, Lithe Spirit was bred in Kentucky by Yeguada Centurion S.L.

Racing continues Sunday at Turfway Park with a special makeup card from Wednesday’s postponed program due to extreme cold temperatures. First post is set for 12:30 p.m. For more information, visit turfway.com.

SURLY FURIOUS RETURNS TO ACTION IN $125,000 FOREGO STAKES – Novogratz Racing Stables’ Surly Furious will return to action after more than nine months on the sidelines to defend his title in Saturday’s 41^st running of the $125,000 Forego Stakes at Turfway Park Racing & Gaming.

The 6 ½-furlong sprint, featuring a competitive field of 10, is carded as Race 7 of 10 with a post time of 8:55 p.m. (all times Eastern). First post is 5:55 p.m.

*Surly Furious winning last year’s Forego Stakes at Turfway Park. Coady Media photo*

Surly Furious, trained by Glenn Wismer, made headlines last year with a solid campaign at Turfway Park that included a dominating eight-length victory in the Dust Commander Stakes just two weeks after capturing the Forego. Prior to going to the sidelines, his season concluded with consecutive sixth-place finishes in both the TwinSpires Kentucky Cup Classic (GIII) on Jeff Ruby Steaks Day and Keeneland’s Ben Ali (GIII). He will break from post No. 3 under jockey Abel Cedillo.

Joining the lineup are several accomplished sprinters, including NBS Stables, Crowns Way Racing, and Kevin Marko’s Animal Kingdom Stakes runner-up Shards; Patricia’s Hope and Richard Ravin’s millionaire sprinter One Timer and OXO Equine’s four-time winner Bromley.

Field for the Forego Stakes from the rail out (with jockey and trainer):