While the field of colts and geldings being pointed for the
Grade III Lecomte Stakes on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day Jan. 22
was still taking shape Sunday, the 3-year-old fillies being considered for the $100,000
Silverbulletday on that same afternoon is more defined.
This year’s newly-named Silverbulletday Stakes is now the
first leg of the sophomore filly series and was run last year as the Tiffany
Lass. Last season’s Silverbulletday Stakes as the middle leg of that series,
has been renamed the (Grade III) Rachel Alexandra Stakes and will be run
Feb. 19. The final leg – the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks –
remains with the same name and will be contested on Louisiana
Derby Day March
26.
Trainer Steve Margolis, who had a slew of male
sophomores in his barn last season, has none of those now but does have two
fillies possible for the upcoming Silverbulletday.
“I have one named Little Miss Holly (owned by Gold Square) and
another named Bouquet Booth (owned by Right Time Racing),” said
Margolis on Sunday. “I’m thinking about the Silverbulletday for both of them.”
Little Miss Holly, who broke her maiden with a six-length
win here Dec. 9, breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:01.40 Jan 3, while Bouquet
Booth, who broke her maiden at Keeneland Oct. 15 and won the Grade III Delta
Princess at Delta Downs Nov. 20, breezed a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 here
on New Year’s Eve.
Canandian trainer Josie Carroll is also thinking
about the Silverbulletday with two of her trainees. “Right now I’m planning on
the Silverbulletday for a filly I have named Inglorious (owned by Donver
Stable),” she said, “but I’m also thinking about running another filly I have
named Achieving (owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and James and
Alice Sapara) in there.”
Inglorious is undefeated after two starts over Woodbine’s
Polytrack course, breaking her maiden at first asking in Woodbine’s $150,000
Fanfreluche at six furlongs and winning again in the $150,000 Ontario Lassie
Stakes Dec. 4 at 1 1/16-miles. The daughter of Hennessy breezed a bullet half in
48 on Jan. 4 here.
Achieving, a daughter of Bernadini out of a Storm Cat mare,
finished fourth in her career debut here Jan. 2.
Also being pointed for the Silverbulletday, according to
trainer Al Stall Jr., is Adele Dilshneider’s Aide, who breezed five
furlongs in 1:00.60 here Saturday after finished fourth in Churchill’s Grade
II Golden Rod Stakes on Nov. 27.