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Silent Name’s Silent Poet Bounces Back in GI Highlander

Silent Poet, a winner of both the GII Connaught Cup and his second-straight running of the GII Nearctic S. last term, bounced back from a trio of off-the-board efforts to upset Sunday's GI Highlander S. at Woodbine. The 9-1 shot sat perched just behind odds-on and in-form filly Caravel, took over from that foe with relative ease in the stretch and kept finding to hold off a furious late bid from Admiralty Pier. Caravel held on for third.

The winner, who was 12th in the 2018 Queen's Plate, was last seen checking in fifth when attempting to defend his Connaught Cup title July 18.

This was the first Grade I win for trainer Nick Gonzalez, who was visibly emotional after the race. Gonzalez lost his wife and longtime assistant trainer Martha last October. Silent Poet was one of her favorites.

“[Jockey] Justin [Stein] and I have been talking about it right up until this race,” Gonzalez said of what made the difference Sunday. “'He said 'You know, Nick, we drew two inside post positions his first two starts [this year]… I break, 'Poet' breaks well, and I've got these guys on the outside of me chirping, chirping, chirping, and 'Poet' wouldn't relax.' He used himself a lot more than he would of in the first eighth of the race. And he backed up both times… “When the overnight came out and we had the eight hole, Justin came by in the morning and said, 'Nick, I think we're going to be able to get a nice trip today.' Everything worked out.”

Sunday, Woodbine
HIGHLANDER S.-GI, C$395,500, Woodbine, 8-22, 3yo/up, 6fT, 1:07.98, fm.
1–SILENT POET, 124, g, 6, by Silent Name (Jpn)
1st Dam: Cara Bella, by Ghostzapper
2nd Dam: Cargo, by Caro (Ire)
3rd Dam: Aerturas (Fr), by Manado (Ire)
1ST GRADE I WIN. O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (ON);
T-Nicholas Gonzalez; J-Justin Stein. C$252,000. Lifetime
Record: 22-11-4-2, $873,108. Werk Nick Rating: C.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Admiralty Pier, 123, g, 6, English Channel–Full Steam Ahead,
by Kitten's Joy. ($100,000 Ylg '16 FTSAUG). O-Hoolie Racing
Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-Barbara
J. Minshall. C$70,000.
3–Caravel, 118, f, 4, Mizzen Mast–Zeezee Zoomzoom, by
Congrats. ($330,000 RNA 3yo '20 WANOCT). O-Bobby Flay &
Elizabeth M. Merryman; B-Elizabeth M. Merryman (PA); T-H.
Graham Motion. C$35,000.
Margins: HF, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 9.95, 12.45, 0.55.
Also Ran: City Boy, Honey Won't, Chuck Willis (Ire), Old Chestnut, Turned Aside. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:

Silent Poet becomes the first Grade I winner in the Northern Hemisphere for perennial leading Canadian sire Silent Name (he has a previous highest-level winner in Brazil). The son of legendary Japanese-based breed shaper Sunday Silence has eight graded or group winners altogether. He stands at the Stronach family's Adena Springs North.

Former fellow Stronach colorbearer and stallion Ghostzapper is also the broodmare sire of Triple Crown winner Justify (Scat Daddy), two more Grade I winners and 15 graded winners overall. The now Hill 'n' Dale resident was represented earlier on the card by GIII Ontario Colleen S. heroine Our Flash Drive.

Silent Poet's unraced dam is a half to Stronach Stable's Red Bullet (Unbridled). Cara Bella sold to Stone Farm for $60,000 at the 2017 Keeneland November sale carrying a full-brother to Silent Poet who would sell for $130,000 two Septembers later. She has a 2-year-old Broken Vow colt and a foal colt by Liam's Map. She was bred back to the latter for 2022.

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New York-Based Invader Takes Queen’s Plate

WellSpring Stables' New York invader Safe Conduct (Bodemeister) pressed, pounced and just held off the late-charging Riptide Rock (Point of Entry) to win the 162nd Queen's Plate in a dramatic finish at Woodbine Sunday. With top U.S. jockey Irad Ortiz, riding in his first Queen's Plate, in the irons and making his first start over a synthetic surface, the 3-1 favorite was under a hold while tracking longshot pacesetter Take a Chance (Munnings) through fractions of :24.01 and :48.37. The bay colt rolled up to challenge the pacesetter nearing the stretch and strode to the lead under his own steam. He was determinedly holding off a host of challengers at midstretch, but it was 11-1 shot Riptide Rock closing furiously down the center of the track who came closest to scoring the upset.

“He's shown some speed before to the half, :48,” Ortiz said of the winner. “We thought maybe two horses had speed and we wanted to be out of the traffic, so I broke running. I sat second on the clear, I bided my time, waited for the right time to roll and when I asked him to go, he kept fighting down the stretch. He kept moving forward. I saw somebody was flying outside… that was very close, I didn't know if I won the race after the wire but thank God I did.”

After experiencing his first Plate victory, Ortiz said, “It's a great feeling always to come here. It's my pleasure to come here. I've got a lot of fans. They showed me some love. I really enjoyed it.”

Safe Conduct, a maiden winner second time out over the Saratoga turf last August, began his sophomore campaign with a runner-up finish in a nine-furlong optional claimer at Gulfstream Mar. 14. He won at that level over the Belmont lawn May 2 while defeating subsequent GII National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame S. winner Public Sector (GB) (Kingman {GB}), before jumping to the graded ranks. He was fourth in the off-turf GIII Pennine Ridge S. May 29 and was a well-beaten eighth over a turf course labeled good in the July 10 GI Belmont Derby last time out.

Owner Dr. Robert Vukovich is founder of WellSpring

Pharmaceutical Corporation, which he started in 1999 and sold in 2011. WellSpring Stables, based in Colts Neck, NJ, is a multiple stakes winning owner with 87 career wins from 780 starts and earnings just shy of $4 million since it began operations in 2006.

Pedigree Notes:

Breeder Mitch Kursner, who owns and operates a Toronto-based industrial commercial construction company, purchased Duchess Dancer, a half-sister to Canadian champion Fatal Bullet (Red Bullet), for $95,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November sale.

Kursner, a co-owner of 2016 Woodbine Oaks winner Neshama, said he was overjoyed with Safe Conduct's gritty Plate triumph.

“Blessed,” said Kursner. “Blessed. I want to congratulate Dr. Vukovich and the wonderful people at WellSpring. They've done a marvelous job bringing this horse along. And of course, Phil Serpe.”

Safe Conduct is Dancing Duchess's second foal. The 9-year-old mare also has a yearling colt by Collected who sold for $11,000 at last year's Keeneland November sale and for $30,000 at this year's OBS January sale, as well as a 2-year-old filly by Exaggerator and a foal filly by Munnings.

Under Safe Conduct's third dam, Sarawilha, is Canadian stalwart Pink Lloyd (Old Forester).

Safe Conduct is the 23rd stakes winner for Bodemeister. Now standing in Turkey, the stallion is the sire of eight graded winners, including GI Kentucky Derby winner Always Dreaming and GI Clark S. winner Bodexpress.

Sunday, Woodbine
QUEEN'S PLATE S., C$1,002,000, Woodbine, 8-22, (C), 3yo,
1 1/4m (AWT), 2:02.85, ft.
1–SAFE CONDUCT, 126, c, 3, by Bodemeister
                1st Dam: Duchess Dancer, by Congrats
                2nd Dam: Sararegal, by Regal Classic
                3rd Dam: Sarawilha, by Sir Ivor
($45,000 Wlg '18 KEENOV). 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN.
O-WellSpring Stables; B-Mitchell H. Kursner (ON); T-Philip M.
Serpe; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr. C$600,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-0,
$603,202.
2–Riptide Rock, 126, g, 3, Point of Entry–Irish Influence, by
Stephen Got Even. O-Stronach Stables; B-Adena Springs (ON);
T-Sid C. Attard. C$200,000.
3–H C Holiday, 126, c, 3, Ami's Holiday–Henry's Collection, by
Henrythenavigator. (C$35,000 RNA Ylg '19 CANSEP). O-Ivan
Dalos; B-Tall Oaks Farm (ON); T-Kevin Attard. C$100,000.
Margins: HD, 1, 3/4. Odds: 3.00, 11.35, 29.40.
Also Ran: Munnyfor Ro, Keep Grinding, Avoman, Harlan Estate, Haddassah, Tidal Forces, Dance Some Mo, Derzkii, Go Take Charge, Take a Chance. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Midnight Bourbon Tunes Up for Runhappy Travers

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow), who most recently clipped heels and nearly fell to the track in the stretch run of the July 17 GI Betfair.com Haskell S. at Monmouth Park, tuned up for an expected start in next Saturday's GI Runhappy Travers S. with a four-furlong work in :49.77 (17/68) over the Oklahoma training track at Saratoga Sunday.

“He's a very impressive horse,” trainer Steve Asmussen said. “I think we're obviously very fortunate that he came out of the mishap in the Haskell in good shape and he's training well, per usual.”

Midnight Bourbon will be making his first start at Saratoga in the Travers. Third in last year's GI Champagne S. at Belmont Park, the handsome bay won the GIII Lecomte S. and was second in the GI Preakness S. earlier in the year.

Also at the training track Sunday at Saratoga, the Asmussen-trained Jackie's Warrior (Maclean's Music) worked four furlongs in in :48.98 (7/68) in preparation for Saturday's GI H. Allen Jerkens Memorial S. and Yaupon (Uncle Mo), targeting the GI Forego S., went a half-mile in :50.50 (40/68).

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Del Mar Sets Single-Day Wager Mark

Del Mar set a new single-day wagering mark when $36,005,613 was wagered on the track's GI TVG Pacific Classic day card Saturday. The previous record of $25,870,431 was set on Pacific Classic day in 2018.

Saturday's card at the oceanside oval, which included five graded stakes, also offered a Pick Six Single Ticket Jackpot pool that finally topped out at $10,751,767. The pool consisted of a $1,874,996 carryover and “new” money of $8,876,771. Each winning ticket–and there were 822 of them–paid $10,521.50.

The card had been designated as a “mandatory payout” day, meaning all monies would be paid out to those with the most winners. The track will have another such “mandatory” day on its closing day, Labor Day Monday, Sept. 6.

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