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.
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]
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 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.
