Making his first start on a surface other than turf, SILENT NAME (Jpn)
(Sunday Silence) turned Saturday’s $400,000
Commonwealth Breeders’ Cup S. (G2) at Keeneland into a rout. Breaking
sharply beneath Corey Nakatani, the Gary Mandella charge argued the pace with
High Finance (Talk Is Money) through splits of :23 2/5 and :46 2/5. Turning into
the stretch, Silent Name drew clear while full of run, clocking 1:09 2/5 for six
furlongs, and he widened his advantage to four lengths at the wire. The
five-year-old bay completed seven furlongs in 1:21 1/5 on the Polytrack to
return $14.40, $7.20 and $5.20 as the 6-1 fourth choice in the 11-horse field.
The stalking Lewis Michael (Rahy) finished best of the rest, holding off
Steel Light (Stravinsky) by a half-length. The 15-1 runner-up gave back $11.80
and $6.60, and show yielded $5.20 at 5-1. The exotics were worth $224.60
(exacta), $1,242.40 (trifecta), and $3,177.20 (8-11-4-7 superfecta) with
even-money favorite Midnight Lute (Real Quiet) another half-length back in
fourth. Checking in fifth was Gin and Sin (Go for Gin), followed by Buddy Got
Even (Stephen Got Even), Ramsgate (Runaway Groom), River City Rebel (Sahm),
Ryan’s for Real (Sword Dance [Ire]), High Finance and Deep Canyon (Chester
House). Straight Line (Boundary) was withdrawn.
Owned by Stronach Stables in partnership with his breeders, Wertheimer &
Frere, Silent Name advanced his record to 19-6-2-4 with $636,431 in earnings. He
began his career in France, where he captured the 2005 Prix de Saint-Patrick and
Prix de Tourgeville and placed in three stakes, most notably the Prix du Pin
(Fr-G3). After emigrating to America last year, the bay landed the Arcadia H.
(G2) and finished third in the Shoemaker Breeders’ Cup Mile S. (G1) and Eddie
Read H. (G1). Silent Name ended his campaign with a sixth in the Breeders’ Cup
Mile (G1), and plans originally called for him to enter stud this season. His
owners then decided to keep him in training, a move which has already paid
handsome dividends. He returned with a battling third in the Frank E. Kilroe
Mile H. (G1) prior to the Commonwealth.
The Japanese-bred was produced by French Group 3 queen Danzigaway (Danehill),
who is also the dam of a juvenile filly named Madaway (Machiavellian).
Danzigaway is herself a half-sister to French Group 2 winner and multiple Group
1-placed Gold Away (Ire) (Goldneyev), who was ranked as the highweight older
male at seven to 9 1/2 furlongs in France in 1999.