NEWS
‘Good old campaigner’ Silver Tree rallies late to win Appleton
Posted: Sunday, March 04, 2007 8:09 PM
SILVER TREE
Bill Denver/Equi-Photo
by Jenny Blandford
Multiple graded stakes winner Silver Tree returned from a six-month layoff on Sunday and rallied late to capture the $125,000 Appleton Handicap (G3) at Gulfstream Park.
Sent off as the 2.80-to-1 favorite, the seven-year-old by Hennessy rated in sixth in the eight-horse field before making a huge move down the stretch from the outside. Under pressure from jockey Edgar Prado, Silver Tree rallied past pacesetters Giant Wrecker and Steel Light in the final strides to win the one mile turf race for older horses by a neck in 1:32.12.
Steel Light finished second, a half-length in front of Old Dodge (Brz).
A Peter Vegso homebred trained by Bill Mott, Silver Tree won one of five starts last season, capturing the Cherokee River Stables Turf Classic Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs on April 8. He had not raced since his fourth-place finish in the Tri-State Handicap at Ellis Park on September 2.
Mott said Silver Tree, whom he described as a “good old campaigner” was just old and tired and needed a rest last year.
“He wasn’t moving that well and needed to be turned out for about 60 days,” Mott said. ”He spent most of it on [Vegso’s] farm in Ocala. The plan was always to bring him back eventually. The folks on the farm put some of the initial miles into him and he came to me ready to go.”
Mott said he was undecided when Silver Tree would race again.
“His best distance is probably a mile-and-a-sixteenth,” he said. “And we know he’s a two-turn horse. The times he’s tried one turn it hasn’t worked.”
Bred in Florida, Silver Tree improved to nine wins from 29 career starts and increased his earnings to $1,228,929.
A full brother to Grade 3 winner Orchard Park, Silver Tree out of Blue Begum, by With Approval.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Jenny Blandford is a Thoroughbred Times assistant daily news editor
