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‘Spoiled’ Silent Poet Aims To Make Some Noise In Sunday’s Nearctic

Nine starters bring their turf talents to the Nearctic Stakes (G2), a six-furlong grass test for 3-year-olds and upward this Sunday at Woodbine.

The $250,000 Nearctic goes as the ninth of 11 races on a program headlined by the $600,000 E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) and $300,000 Northern Dancer Turf Stakes (G1T). The $100,000 Display Stakes, a seven-furlong main track event for two-year-olds, goes as race 10. First race post time is 1:10 p.m.

Multiple stakes winner Silent Poet, a five-year-old son of Silent Name (JPN), has won three of his past four races.

Bred and owned by Stronach Stables, Silent Poet kicked off his current campaign with an allowance score on June 11. The Ontario-bred took the Connaught Cup Stakes (G2T) next time out, then finished third in the King Edward Stakes (G2T) on August 15.

The Nicholas Gonzalez trainee, who has finished in the top three in 12 of his 13 past starts, heads into the Nearctic off a sharp score on September 27, a 1 ¾-length win over 6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor Turf Course.

“He always goes out there and gives you everything he has,” said Gonzalez, of the 2019 Play the King Stakes (G2T) winner. “Even if he's beaten, it never seems to be by much. He's a very versatile horse.”

And a contented one too.

“'Poet' is such a happy horse right now… spoiled with grass and clover, mints and carrots,” shared Gonzalez. “He loves his job and that makes mine so much easier.”

Silent Poet, who has assembled a 9-4-2 record from 17 starts, faces a group of rivals that includes multiple graded stakes placed Blind Ambition, last year's Nearctic winner City Boy, graded stakes champ Guildsman, graded stakes victor Kanthaka, and Royal North Stakes (G2) winner Lady Grace.

City Boy, bred and co-owned by the late Gustav Schickedanz, returned $50.70 for his upset win in the 2019 Nearctic. Trainer Mike Keogh notched his second Nearctic title, having taken the 1999 renewal with Clever Response.

$250,000 Nearctic Stakes (Grade 2) – Race 9

Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer

1 – Reconfigure – Skye Chernetz – Robert Tiller

2 – Kanthaka – Luis Contreras – Graham Motion

3 – Blind Ambition – Patrick Husbands – Mark Casse

4 – Guildsman – Rafael Hernandez – Brendan Walsh

5 – Silent Poet – Justin Stein – Nicholas Gonzalez

6 – Lady Grace – Kazushi Kimura – Mark Casse

7 – Vanbrugh – Daisuke Fukumoto – Brad Cox

8 – City Boy – David Moran – Mike Keogh

9 – Olympic Runner – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Mark Casse

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Steeplechase: International Gold Cup Will Be Livestreamed On Oct. 24

It takes a huge team to feed, care for and train steeplechase horses. Since the pandemic, and with events not allowed to have spectators, there has been a large decrease in equestrian events. Due to this, many of those employed in the industry face potential unemployment and financial hardship.

In an effort to help alleviate the hardship, the National Steeplechase Association has stepped up and is livestreaming events so that the horses may run and may still collect winnings, while spectators enjoy the sport from their homes.

“We wanted to provide a venue for the steeplechase/racing industry to be able to get horses out and receive some financial support in the form of purse money,” explained Dr. William Allison, co-chairman of the Virginia Gold Cup Association, the organization that oversees the Virginia Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup. “Thanks to the NSA, jockeys and trainers have been able to continue training their horses and have some livestreaming venues where they can compete.”

Earlier this year and throughout the spring, race meets were cancelled leaving the horse industry with unprecedented hardship. The steeplechase community came together to try to maintain the employment of more than 1,000 jockeys, trainers and many others on farms who exercise and care for the horses. The International Gold Cup will provide purse money for participants. Even more importantly, it will provide a viable and tangible boost to keep many working in the equine industry employed.

The equine industry is important to Virginia's economy. A 2018/19 report by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services reported that the horse industry brings more than $2 billion annually in economic development to the Commonwealth. The report noted that there are more than 183,643 horses in the state that provide approximately 38,874 jobs. It also stated that there are 30.5% or one million households that contain horse enthusiasts.

“The viability of the horse industry is an important component for the Commonwealth's economy,” Allison added.

The International Gold Cup will be held with limited people on-site—participants and essential personnel only.

“We've worked closely with the National Steeplechase Association and Virginia Equine Alliance to be able to successfully run the Virginia Gold Cup this past June and it was successful. They are now assisting us in running the International Gold Cup,” Allison added. “It will be a bittersweet day without our loyal fans in attendance, but ultimately being able to host race day is a victory for us. We are hopeful racegoers will tune into the livestream.”

The International Gold Cup encourages race fans to tune in and celebrate with appropriate socially- distanced watch parties. Tailgate recipes and hat photos, in honor of the annual Hat and Tailgate Contests, can be shared on the VGCA facebook, Instagram, and twitter. Viewers can tune in to http://nsa.network.video/ to live stream the event on October 24 at 12:30 p.m. EST.

For more information visit vagoldcup.com.

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Red Knight Cruises To Stakes-Record Victory In Thursday’s Sycamore

Trinity Farm's homebred Red Knight surged to the front at midstretch and cruised to a 2-length victory over Postulation to win the 26th running of the $150,000 Sycamore (G3) for 3-year-olds and up on an overcast Thursday afternoon at Keeneland.

Trained by Bill Mott and ridden by James Graham, Red Knight covered the 1½ miles on a firm turf course in 2:28.81 to smash the stakes record of 2:29.55 established by Sharbayan (IRE) in 2003. It is the third victory in the Sycamore for Graham, who won in 2007 aboard Transduction Gold and 2013 on Najjaar.

Postulation led the field of 10 through fractions of :24.84, :51.08, 1:16.04 and 1:40.76 while Red Knight raced near the back of the pack.

On the far turn, Graham angled Red Knight off the rail and began splitting horses. He swung three wide into the stretch, collared Postulation at the eighth pole and drew clear for the victory.

“I saw what was happening around me,” Graham said. “Manny (Franco on Ziyad [GB]) moved out around the backside. Brian (Hernandez)'s horse (Eons) started to come out under pressure, and I split two horses and (Red Knight) came right back on the bridle, which was great. And then he accelerated turning for home. Everything went great. He was probably 2 lengths further back than I wanted to be, but it worked out.”

It was the first graded stakes victory for Red Knight, a 6-year-old New York-bred son of Pure Prize out of the Skip Away mare Isabel Away. The victory was worth $90,000 and increased his earnings to $732,158 with a record of 21-8-6-1.

Sent off as the favorite, Red Knight returned $6.80, $4 and $3. Postulation, ridden by Julien Leparoux, returned $6.80 and $4.20 and finished a head in front of Ziyad (GB) who paid $3.40 to show under Manny Franco.

It was another head back to North Dakota who was followed in order by He's No Lemon, Big Agenda, Aquaphobia, Eons, Split the Wickets and Morning Stride.

Racing continues Friday with a 10-day program beginning at 1:05 p.m. ET and featuring the 30th running of the $150,000 Pin Oak Valley View (G3) for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles on the turf. The Pin Oak Valley View will be run as the ninth race with a 5:30 p.m. post time.

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Smooth Like Strait, Field Pass Face Off In Sunday’s Grade 2 Twilight Derby

Cannon Thoroughbreds homebred Smooth Like Strait returns to Southern California and will try to stretch his speed to a mile and one eighth on turf as he heads a field of nine sophomores in Sunday's Grade 2, $200,000 Twilight Derby at Santa Anita.

A resounding 2 ½ length winner of the Grade 2 La Jolla Handicap two starts back, Smooth Like Strait, who is trained by Michael McCarthy, finished fourth as the 6-5 favorite in a Grade 2 stakes at Churchill Downs on Sept. 5 and will likely vie for favoritism with midwestern invader Field Pass, who he faced on Sept. 5.

A two-time Grade 3 winner in Kentucky, trainer Mike Maker's Field Pass was a close third in the same race Smooth Like Strait was favored in Sept. 5 and he's won four out of his seven starts this year.

C R K Stable's Express Train, who showed much promise at age two, will be trying turf for the first time on Sunday in what will be his third start of the year for John Shirreffs and rates a big chance in what appears to be a wide open Twilight Derby.

SMOOTH LIKE STRAIT

Owner: Cannon Thoroughbreds, LLC

Trainer: Michael McCarthy

A Kentucky-bred colt by Midnight Lute, he made the lead turning for home in the Grade 2 American Turf on Sept. 5 at Churchill Downs, but tired late to be beaten four lengths. A gutty one mile minor turf stakes winner three starts back at Churchill Downs on May 23, he's won two out of his last three starts and was also a winner of the Grade 3 Cecile B. DeMille Stakes six starts back on Dec. 1, 2019. Smooth Like Strait is four for nine lifetime with earnings of $277,823 and he'll be reunited with Umberto Rispoli, who pointed him to victory in the La Jolla Handicap as the 4-5 favorite.

FIELD PASS

Owner: Three Diamonds Farm Trainer: Mike Maker

A Grade 3 winner going a mile and one eighth on synthetic Polytrack at Turfway Park on March 14, he notched his second Grade 3 win over a “good” turf three starts back at Keeneland on July 12. Most recently third, beaten 1 ¾ lengths in the Grade 2 American Turf Stakes at Churchill Downs Sept. 5, a race in which he rallied to wrest command from Smooth Like Strait in mid-stretch, he was a gate to wire winner of an ungraded stakes going 1 1/8 miles on turf four starts back on June 20 at Churchill. Field Pass, who defeated Smooth Like Strait by 2 ¼ lengths on Sept. 5, has demonstrated ample versatility and the ability to get the Twilight Derby distance. With an overall mark of 13-5-2-2, he's the leading money earner in the field with $472,610 and he'll no doubt vie for favoritism when ridden for the first time by Drayden Van Dyke.

EXPRESS TRAIN

Owner: C R K Stable, LLC Trainer: John Shirreffs

A $500,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase, this colt by Union Rags broke his maiden going one mile on dirt in his second start by 14 ¼ lengths and in his final start at age two, was a well beaten fourth at 5-2 in the Grade 1 American Pharoah Stakes at a mile and one sixteenth on Sept. 27, 2019. An impressive two length winner of a 6 ½ furlong allowance on Aug. 23, a race in which he overcame a stumble at the start, he flattened out a bit late when second, beaten three quarters of a length as the 4-5 favorite in a one mile allowance here Sept. 26. In what will be his third start off a long layoff, Express Train should be a tighter horse on Sunday as he tries turf for the first time in his sixth career start with regular rider Mike Smith aloft.

THE GRADE 2 TWILIGHT DERBY WITH JOCKEYS & WEIGHTS IN POST POSITION ORDER

Race 9 of 10 Approximate post time 5 p.m. PT

Farmington Road—Flavien Prat-124
Express Train—Mike Smith—124
Margot's Boy—Tiago Pereira—124
Kiss Today Goodbye—Victor Espinoza—124
Dominant Soul—Edwin Maldonado–124
Smooth Like Strait—Umberto Rispoli—124
Scarto—Juan Hernandez—124
K P All Systems Go—Abel Cedillo–124
Field Pass—Drayden Van Dyke—124

First post time for a 10-race card on Sunday is at 1 p.m. Santa Anita's races can be viewed live and free of charge at santaanita.com.

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