Queen Title Defense for Lithe Spirit

Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds sales graduate Lithe Spirit bounced back to form to defend her title in the Queen S. at Turfway Park on March 14.

Offered by Nicky Drion Thoroughbreds at Keeneland September in 2022, Lithe Spirit—a daughter of Speightstown out of the Ghostzapper mare Spooky Woods—was purchased by Bruno DeBerdt and Scanlon Training for $135,000. Those connections sold her to Bradley Thoroughbreds for $485,000 at OBS April the following spring.

The winner of four of her eight starts at three for trainer Steve Asmussen, Lithe Spirit progressed to win two stakes at Turfway Park in 2025—the Wishing Well S. and the Queen S.—but failed to hit the board in three black-type tries at Keeneland, Woodbine and Turfway thereafter. She picked up fifth when returning in this year’s edition of the Wishing Well on Feb. 6, and was a one-length winner at odds of 7-1 on Saturday.