Originally Posted by BluesDawg

Yes. Since I retired I work part time in sales and service at a bike shop selling Specialized bikes as our primary brand. I ride, sell and work on Specialized bikes.

If you are looking for a drop bar road bike around $1000, your choices from Specialized are the Sectuer and Allez. Both are great bikes with the Allez a bit lower, stiffer and tighter geometry while the Sectuer is a bit more upright, smoother and relaxed. I would try both and see how they feel.
The Sport models are right at your price and are roughly the same level build as your Sirrus, and the Elites add a couple hundred dollars. Sport and Elite have the same frames, wheels and cranksets, with the Elite models stepping up from 9 speed Sora to 10 speed Tiagra along with slightly nicer brakes and a few other minor upgrades. While Sora is not bad, especially since they moved to 9 speed and the same shifter setup as the higher groups (losing the thumb button), Tiagra 10 speed is a significant upgrade. Along with the extra gear, you'll get slightly lighter weight, better durability and simpler upgrade options.