Startwithsilver explodes in the stretch to capture Broadway

[1]

NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

Startwithsilver (Jump Start) bided her time in last place for the first half-mile of her stakes debut Sunday, Aqueduct’s co-featured $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-bred filly and mare sprinters, but when ready to run she unleashed an explosive rally down the middle of the track, passing the field and opening up to score a scintillating six-length victory.

Co-owned by Iris Smith Stable, Lady Sheila Stable and trainer Linda Rice, 5-year-old Startwithsilver broke her maiden on dirt in April of 2016, but until January 25 had run on dirt only one other time, instead compiling a solid race record in turf sprints.

In her return to dirt just over three weeks ago she wrote the script for the Broadway. She raced dead last and as much as eleven lengths off the pace in a 6-furlong sprint before finding her stride, engaged the field in the stretch and charged home to win by 2 3/4 lengths under jockey Junior Alvarado. The pair were reunited on Sunday and went off as the 2-1 second choice in the field of six.

Competition was fast and furious up front in the early stages of the Broadway as Sandy Bell and Shimmering Moon dueled through an opening quarter mile in 22.77, with 3-2 favorite Picco Uno in the hunt in third. Startwithsilver, unconcerned, traveled in last place seven lengths behind all the action.

Roused by her pilot in the turn, Startwithsilver passed her first horse in the approach to the quarter pole. She then angled out widest of all at the head of the stretch as the half ticked by in 46.88.

[2]

NYRA/Annette Jasko

The grey mare then kicked into gear and simply rocketed down the middle of the track, blowing past her rivals and opening up to win by six lengths in a final time of 1:11.44 over the sloppy (sealed) racing surface. Bee Noteworthy closed from fifth to get second and Picco Uno finished another two lengths back in third. Completing the order of finish were Sandy Belle, Frosty Margarita and Shimmering Moon. [VIDEO REPLY[3]]

For Alvarado it was déjà vu all over again: “You sit on her and wait for her to have the kick she did last time, so that’s what I did.” He added, “As soon as we turned for home I just put her in the clear. I knew the race was over. And when she switched [her leads] she got another extra two gears and she just turned for home very strong. It was a nice win for her.”

As to the mare’s preferred surface, Alvarado sees greater potential for her right now on dirt, wet or dry. “I know she can do turf too, but I think her best right now is on the dirt. That turn-of-foot for home is incredible. The last time, it was a dry track and I was far back, and she was a little hesitant with the dirt at the beginning because it was her first race in a while running on the dirt. She was very professional [today]. She took the dirt well. And when I asked her, she was like a push-button. I just had to hang on tight.”

Previously Startwithsilver’s pedigree had convinced Rice to stick with turf. Bred by Burning Sands Stable and foaled at Rockridge Stud [4]in Hudson, the mare is out of New York-bred Office Miss (Silver Ghost), a winner of three turf stakes. The female family also features Artie Schiller, Hidden Light and Ferdinand.

Rice said, “When we started with her, she broke her maiden on the dirt, but her mother had made around $350,000 on the grass, so we switched her to the turf, and there were just more opportunities for her there. Last winter, I decided to give her a break and freshen her up, and this winter I thought to try her on the dirt and give her another chance. We’ve been delighted with her last performances and I thought this race was pretty darn competitive.”

Lightly raced for a 5-year-old, with relatively long hiatuses between two and three, and three and four, Startwithsilver has compiled a career record of five wins, four seconds and two thirds from 15 starts, with $273,559 in earnings.

Purchased as a yearling by Raul Reyes’ Kings Equine at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall sale for just $32,000, Startwithsilver was bought by Rice for $180,000 at the 2015 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. She is the most recent reported foal for her dam Office Miss, who produced five winners.

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/startwithsilver-the-broadway-credit-chelsea-durand2.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/startwithsilver-the-broadway-credit-annette-jasko.jpg
  3. VIDEO REPLY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20180218&track=AQD&race=8
  4. Rockridge Stud : http://www.rockridgestud.com/

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/02/18/startwithsilver-broadway/


Stretch-out sprinter Nine Route wires Gander

[1]

NYRA/Chelsea Durand

By Sarah Mace

Stretching out from a pair of dirt sprints, Nine Route (The Factor) put a stakes victory on the board in his fourth career start at Aqueduct Sunday with a frontrunning victory in the one-mile $100,000 Gander Stakes for New York-bred 3-year-olds.

Trained by Jeremiah Engelhart for retired NFL coach Bill Parcells’ August Dawn Farm, the bay colt was piloted to victory by a hot-handed Dylan Davis who began Sunday’s race program with a personal rolling pick three. Davis would go on to sweep the first five races and win six on the card.

Headlined by undefeated 1-5 favorite Empire Line, the field of five was reduced by one on race day with the scratch of Michael Dilger-trainee Evaluator. The would-be contender, beaten just a nose by Empire Line in the Damon Runyon on January 15, is stabled in Belmont’s barn 10, now under a 21-day quarantine due to an outbreak of equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM), which has claimed the life of one of Tom Albertrani’s fillies. No other horses have exhibited symptoms of the disease.

Gio d’Oro, the 7-2 second choice in the Gander, broke on top, but Nine Route, who was the lone confirmed speed of the quartet, successfully challenged for the lead by the time the horses exited the chute.

[2]

NYRA/Robert Mauhar

Nine Route traveled comfortably at the rail along the backstretch, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Gio d’Oro, followed by Empire Line another length back on the rail, and Engineers Report. After early splits ticked off in 23.91 and 48.20, Empire Line made a run at Nine Route, but dropped back and came under the whip. The favorite seemed not to have relished his first encounter with off going.

Nine Route completed three-quarters in 1:14.04 and edged clear in the stretch on his way to a convincing 3-length victory. Gio d’Oro won the battle for second, finishing a half-length ahead of a somewhat resurgent Empire Line, while longshot Engineers Report brought up the rear. The final time for the mile was 1:41.25 over the sloppy (sealed) track. [VIDEO REPLAY[3]]

Off the board in his July 2 Belmont debut on the grass for Bill Mott, and only resurfacing on December 8 to break his maiden on dirt by more than six lengths for Engelhart, Nine Route came into the Gander off a solid allowance win over “good” going. He scored both sprint victories on the front end and for the colt’s stakes debut both trainer and jockey were minded to position Nine Route where he has done his best work.

“He was on the lead his last two races and coming in we thought he might be able to do the same thing today,” said Engelhart. “Dylan did a really nice job with him. Sometimes he tends to start a bit sluggish, but he got out of there okay and really handled the track which was also a concern.”

Added Davis, “He broke a step slow and I got a little worried, but once he got into stride, he took control and I got him to relax. He geared down and knew what he had to do turning for home.”

Dylan also noted that the sloppy conditions didn’t seem to bother the colt. “He handled it [the off-going] better than the others and just got the job done. He had no problems getting over it.”

Reviewing the Nine Route’s young career, Engelhart said, “He’s now 3-for-3 for us and he’s pleasantly surprised me every time. In his first start for us I wasn’t sure he would be able to handle the dirt and he did that, second start I was worried about allowance company and he passed that test and today we had some questions if he would handle a route distance and he did it pretty impressive.”

The conditioner has no specific plans for the colt’s next start.

Bred by McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds[4] LLC, Nine Route is out of Flash Act, a Kentucky-bred multiple winner by Sky Mesa out of multiple Grade 1 winner Missy’s Mirage (Stop the Music). Missy’s Mirage is a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Classy Mirage, the dam of Grade 1 winning sire Dublin.

Nine Route sold to Lane’s End for $190,000 as a weanling at the 2015 Fasig-Tipton November sale in Kentucky. When he was offered the following summer at the Fasig-Tipton New York-bred preferred sale in Saratoga, August Dawn Farm had to go to $290,000 to get him into the stable. From three wins in four starts, he has earned $127,448.

Endnotes:
  1. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/nine-route-the-gander-credit-chelsea-durand.jpg
  2. [Image]: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/nine-route-the-gander-credit-robert-mauhar.jpg
  3. VIDEO REPLAY: http://www.nytbreeders.org/includes/video-player.cfm?date=20180218&track=AQD&race=3
  4. McMahon of Saratoga Thoroughbreds: http://www.mcmahonthoroughbreds.com/

Source URL: https://www.nytbreeders.org/news/2018/02/18/nine-route-wires-gander/