Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing's Silver State had built up a six-race win streak prior to a third-place finish last out in the Aug. 7 Whitney Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course. The 4-year-old Hard Spun colt topped those victories with a score in the June 5 Hill 'n' Dale Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Belmont Park, and cuts back to that same distance for the $200,000 Parx Dirt Mile Stakes Sept. 25 at Parx Racing.
"He's doing great. He's been training well since the Whitney. I don't think we're giving any secrets away," said Winchell racing manager David Fiske. "He's going to run a mile on Saturday. I think the Breeders' Cup (Dirt) Mile (G1) might be his next stop."
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Silver State has two wins and a second from three starts at a mile. He'll break from post 6 in the eight-horse field with regular rider Ricardo Santana Jr. up.
Silver State was multiple graded stakes-placed early in his 3-year-old campaign and won two allowance-level races last fall off a seven-month layoff. This year he annexed the Fifth Season Stakes, Essex Handicap, and Oaklawn Handicap (G2) at Oaklawn Park ahead of the Met Mile.
"We always thought that he had a lot of talent. He's a big, pretty horse. He's fulfilled our expectations," Fiske said. "We would always hope that he would be the horse he has become."
Red Oak Stable and Madaket Stables' Mind Control will stretch beyond seven furlongs for the first time in 17 starts for the Parx Dirt Mile. Moved to trainer Todd Pletcher this year, the 5-year-old son of Stay Thirsty has since won the July 4 John A. Nerud Stakes (G2) at Belmont and finished fourth in the Aug. 28 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga. John Velazquez was aboard for both of those starts and has the call from post 3 Saturday.
Also in the Parx Dirt Mile is Uriah St. Lewis' locally-trained Informative, who won the June 12 Salvator Mile Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park, and Ten Strike Racing and Madaket Stables' Warrior's Charge , who was second in the June 26 Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) at Churchill Downs for trainer Brad Cox.
Sea Foam Steps Up for Greenwood
Ten Strike Racing's Sea Foam was claimed off a winning effort for $45,000 in an allowance optional claimer for New York-breds July 30 at Saratoga. In his first start for trainer Michelle Giangiulio, the 6-year-old son of Medaglia d'Oro won the Aug. 11 Evan Shipman Handicap by five lengths over state-breds back at the Spa. Both of those races were at 1 1/8 miles, and Sea Foam will now stretch out beyond that distance for the first time in Saturday's $200,000 Greenwood Cup Stakes (G3), run at 1 1/2 miles at Parx.
Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. will send Math Wizard back to Parx for the Greenwood Cup, run on the same card on which the Algorithms son delivered Joseph his first grade 1 victory in the 2019 Pennsylvania Derby. Math Wizard was third in his second of two stars this year, the Aug. 6 Alydar Stakes at Saratoga. He is owned by John Fanelli, Collamelle Vitelli Stables, Bassett Stables, Ioannis Zoumas, Wynwood Thoroughbreds, and Joseph.
Repole Stable and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners' Moretti , trained by Pletcher, is a multiple stakes winner at long distances. The son of Medaglia d'Oro returns to the dirt for the Greenwood after being eased home in the Aug. 28 Resorts World Casino Sword Dancer Stakes (G1T) on Saratoga's turf.
Parx Racing, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 7Entries: Parx Dirt Mile S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Dreams Untold (PA) Frankie Pennington 122 John C. Servis 8/1 2 2West Will Power (KY) Luis Saez 124 Kelly J. Breen 5/1 3 3Mind Control (KY) John R. Velazquez 122 Todd A. Pletcher 4/1 4 4Thorny Tale (NY) Ruben Silvera 122 Jamie Ness 6/1 5 5Rock On Luke (KY) Paco Lopez 122 Regina Brennan 15/1 6 6Silver State (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 126 Steven M. Asmussen 8/5 7 7Warrior's Charge (FL) Florent Geroux 122 Brad H. Cox 6/1 8 8Informative (KY) Alexander Crispin 126 Uriah St. Lewis 20/1
Parx Racing, Saturday, September 25, 2021, Race 8Entries: Greenwood Cup S. (G3)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Forewarned (OH) Alexander Crispin 126 Uriah St. Lewis 15/1 2 2Math Wizard (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 120 Saffie A. Joseph, Jr. 5/1 3 3Moretti (KY) Luis Saez 126 Todd A. Pletcher 2/1 4 4Magic Michael (KY) Frankie Pennington 120 Jamie Ness 9/2 5 5Shooger Ray Too (KY) Kendrick Carmouche 120 J. Tyler Servis 8/1 6 6Lookin At Roses (KY) UNKNOWN 120 Guadalupe Preciado 8/1 7 7Sheer Flattery (KY) Ruben Silvera 120 Louis C. Linder, Jr. 6/1 8 8Sea Foam (NY) Joel Rosario 126 Michelle Giangiulio 8/1 9 9Last Samurai (KY) Jon Kenton Court 116 Dallas Stewart 10/1
