Claiborne Farm announced today that it has acquired the breeding rights to multiple graded stakes winner Silver State. He will stand at the Paris, Ky., farm upon his retirement from racing.
The 4-year-old son of Hard Spun has won seven of 13 career starts, hitting the board in 12 of those starts, and has made over $1.9 million. In 2021 alone, he is 4-1-1 from 6 starts and has made over $1.6 million.
“We are very excited to stand Silver State in 2022,” said Walker Hancock of Claiborne Farm. “Danzig is one of the legends of Claiborne, and we anticipate his legacy continuing through his grandson, Silver State.”
Silver State is being pointed toward this year's Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile at Del Mar on Saturday Nov. 6, after earning a “Win and You're In” berth by winning the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap. In the stallion-making Met Mile, he defeated three Grade 1 winners, including Knicks Go, a four-time Grade 1 winner of the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Stakes.
The highlight of his career thus far is a six-race winning streak spanning 2020 and 2021, which included wins in the listed Fifth Season Stakes and Essex Stakes at Oaklawn Park, the G2 Oaklawn Handicap, and culminating in his signature Met Mile triumph at Belmont Park.
Trained by Steve Asmussen for the partnership of Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC and Willis Horton Racing, the most accomplished son of Hard Spun has posted wins in each of his three campaigns. Silver State won on debut as a juvenile in a maiden special weight during the September meet at Churchill Downs. At age three, a minor setback knocked him off the Triple Crown trail, but he returned to the races later that year to score allowance wins at Keeneland and Churchill Downs.
“He's a tremendous physical,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “Everyone that's been around this horse is struck by his presence. He really must be seen to be believed.”
Ron Winchell of Winchell Thoroughbreds, who co-owns Silver State with Willis Horton Racing, added, “For any horse to win six races in a row, especially when those victories included races as well-regarded as the Oaklawn Handicap and Met Mile, is pretty incredible and puts him in a special category. Looking ahead to his stud career, we couldn't be more excited about Silver State finding a home at Claiborne. We're looking forward to supporting him with our mares and can't wait to see his offspring.”
A product of the vaunted Stonestreet Farm breeding program, Silver State is out of the Grade 3-placed stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Supreme, and he hails from the family of Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. He sold for $450,000 as a yearling at the 2018 Keeneland September sale.
An advertised stud fee will be announced at a later date.
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