Sterling Silver, a Cupid filly bred by Mallory and Karen Mort, wins the $100,000 Franklin Square for owner Mark Anderson. Dom Napolitano/NYRA Photo.
By Melissa Bauer-Herzog
When New York-bred Sterling Silver won her debut in November at Aqueduct, it set up perfect for a January stakes debut.
The daughter of Cupid went straight to the $100,000 Franklin Square after the maiden-breaking run, fresh and ready to win the 6 1/2-furlong stakes.
Sterling Silver broke even with the field before finding herself nearly 5 lengths behind the pacesetting Sandy’s Garden soon after leaving the gate. Trevor McCarthy didn’t waste time getting his mount back into the game and Sterling Silver moved to be just behind a trio tracking the leader through a :22.16 opening quarter-mile.
One of the trio of trackers faded around the turn and Sterling Silver took that as her cue to start making her move. Racing into the stretch after a :45.25 half, Sterling Silver was quick to range up the rail and chase down Sandy’s Garden.
Sandy’s Garden gave it her all, holding off her late-running foe briefly before Sterling Silver ended her hopes of winning the stakes. McCarthy let Sterling Silver coast home once they grabbed the lead and his filly crossed the line 2 1/4 lengths in front in a time of 1:16.28. Sandy’s Garden was well secure in second, 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Thinking It Over with Moam 10 lengths behind in fourth.
“She got a really nice trip today,” McCarthy said. “The rail has been really good and we were able to sit on that for most of the way. She beat a nice filly, a horse who had shown some really good races. With a trip like that and the effort she gave today, I’m really proud of her. A huge credit to [trainer Tom Albertrani] and all his employees, they’ve done a good job.”
The Franklin Square victory got Sterling Silver’s connections thinking of bigger goals in coming months.
“We’ll see how she comes out of the race and decide what’s next from there,” Albertrani said. “We may want something a little sooner than the East View [March 27] or the Busher [March 5]. We’re not sure if we’ll stay in New York or not.”
Sterling Silver was bred by Gallagher’s Stud’s Farm Manager Mallory Mort and his wife Karen, who had bought her dam Sheet Humor for $14,000 in foal to Midnight Lute at the 2015 Keeneland November breeding stock sale. The fourth foal out of her dam for those owners, Sterling Silver was sold at the 2020 Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Showcase to Mark Anderson’s Anderson Acres out of the Denali Stud consignment.
An unraced Distorted Humor mare, Sheet Humor has produced two winners from three to race – all bred by the Morts. Sheet Humor is out of the Grade 3 winning Sheets, who is out of the stakes-placed One Hot Minute.
Sheet Humor produced a New York-bred Not This Time colt last year and was bred to Central Banker March 27. Going through the Fasig-Tipton Saratoga fall mixed in October, Sheet Humor brought $3,000 when selling to K.O.I.D. and has been exported.
