NEWS
Breeders' Cup Sprint winner Silver Train on track for Carter Handicap
Posted: Thursday, April 06, 2006
Buckram Oak Farm's Silver Train, winner of the 2005 Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), will be the main attraction in the $300,000 Carter Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on Saturday.
The four-year-old dark bay or brown Old Trieste colt will attempt to regain his winning form against seven rivals in the seven-furlong race for three-year-olds and older. Silver Train closed his 2005 campaign with a head win over Taste of Paradise in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on October 29 at Belmont Park.
After a four-month layoff, Silver Train finished seventh in his seasonal debut in the Richter Scale Breeders' Cup Sprint Championship Handicap (G2) at Gulfstream Park on March 4. The colt tired in the stretch of the Richter Scale as the even-money favorite.
"I'm not mad at him because he's had an unbelievable career,'' trainer Richard Dutrow said. "But I'd like to see a big race out of him away from Belmont [Park].''
Sir Greeley, beaten a neck by Mister Fotis in the Richter Scale, finished 6 1/2 lengths ahead of Silver Train in that race. The four-year-old Mr. Greeley gelding, trained by Jimmy Jerkens for owners Timber Bay Farm and Mrs. Thomas Walsh, posted a 1 1/2-length win over 2003 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Funny Cide in an allowance race at Gulfstream on February 2.
"It looks like he's training really well,'' Jerkens said. "If he runs like he's been running, he'll be tough.''
Bobby Frankel will send out Grade 1 winner Mass Media, making his first start since finishing second to Purge in the Cigar Mile Handicap (G1) at Aqueduct on November 26. Mass Media posted a half-length win against Battle Won in the '05 Forego Stakes (G1) at Saratoga Race Course.
Other graded stakes winners in the field include Happy Hunting, winner of the Aqueduct Handicap (G3) on January 21, and Kazoo, winner of the Toboggan Handicap (G3) at Aqueduct on March 11.
The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, and trainer:
1. Bishop Court Hill (Holy Bull), Jose Santos, 115, Todd Pletcher;
2. Happy Hunting (Seeking the Gold), Mike Smith, 115, Shug McGaughey;
3. Sir Greeley (Mr. Greeley), Garrett Gomez, 116, Jimmy Jerkens;
4. Mass Media (Touch Gold), Ramon Dominguez, 118, Bobby Frankel;
5. Kazoo (Tabasco Cat), Richard Migliore, 115, Richard Dutrow;
6. Silver Train (Old Trieste), Edgar Prado, 120, Richard Dutrow;
7. Call the Lord (Lord Carson), Pablo Fragoso, 114, Richard Dutrow; and
8. Big Apple Daddy (Precise End), Orlando Mojica, 113, Bruce Levine.
