NEWS: RACING

Silver Mission first starter, first winner for Mission Impazible

Thursday, April 21st, 2016
NYRA/Chelsea Durand

NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

As the 2-year-old racing season begins to take hold in New York, Silver Mission, the first starter for New York-based sire Mission Impazible, got a stern test in his debut, an open 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight race that kicked off the card at Aqueduct on Thursday.

The Twin Creeks Racing Stables and Sequel Racing homebred was forced to battle well-regarded Fuhrlong (Langfuhr) right to wire and then survive a post-race inquiry into the somewhat bumpy stretch run, but in the event, emerged with a gutsy three-quarter length victory.

The grey/roan Todd Pletcher trainee, bet down to 1-5 favoritism by post time, made his way to the lead after a first quarter in 22.18, but was destined to be attended to the wire by Fuhrlong.

The pair were inseparable through a half in 46.52 and battled to finish line, but Silver Mission put on a final burst of speed under jockey John Velazquez to capture the victory in a final time of 53.25 which withstood the scrutiny of the stewards.

The colt’s sire, Mission Impazible (Unbridled’s Song), stands at Sequel Stallions New York for a 2016 stud fee of $7,500. Tabbed as a TDN Rising Star at two after breaking his maiden first out during the 2009 Keeneland spring race meet, he went on to win the 2010 Grade 2 Louisiana Derby and 2011 Grade 2 New Orleans H. He ran second in three Grade 1 races, the 2012 Donn H., 2011 Clark H. and 2011 Stephen Foster H. and retired at the end of the 2012 season with earnings of nearly $1.3 million.

Silver Mission’s dam is Grade 3 winner and $438,843-earner Nashinda, who is a half-sister to Canadian champion Archers Bay (Silver Deputy).

Silver Mission, as a New York-sired New York-bred, earned, in addition to the $50,000 winner’s share of the purse, a 30% breeder’s award for his victory ($15,000), a 20% open company owner’s award ($10,000) and 10% stallion owner’s award ($5,000) from the Fund. Moreover,  with added Fund and NYRA incentives this spring for the New York 2-year-old racing program, Twin Creeks Racing/Sequel Racing earned a $9,000 owner’s bonus and Todd Pletcher earned a $4,000 trainer’s bonus.

 

 

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