Claiborne acquires stallion rights to Silver State

Claiborne Farm has acquired the rights to Silver State, whose biggest win came in the Grade 1 Metropolitan Handicap, considered a stallion-making race. Silver State, who is being pointed to the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile on Nov. 6 at Del Mar, is expected to stand at the Hancock family’s Paris, Ky., farm in 2022.

Silver State is by Hard Spun, a son of legendary former Claiborne stallion Danzig. Claiborne’s current flagship stallion is War Front, one of the best sons of Danzig.

“We are very excited to stand Silver State in 2022,” Claiborne's Walker Hancock said in a press release. “Danzig is one of the legends of Claiborne, and we anticipate his legacy continuing through his grandson Silver State.”

Silver State made his name by winning six straight races from October 2020 to June of this year, culminating with graded scores in the Grade 2 Oaklawn Handicap and the Met Mile. In the latter, he defeated the consistent By My Standards by a length; the rest of the field was made up of Grade 1 winners Mischevious Alex, Knicks Go, Dr Post, and Lexitonian. Since then, Silver State has finished third in the Grade 1 Whitney to Knicks Go and second by a head to Mind Control in the Parx Dirt Mile.

Silver State races for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton Racing, those stables having purchased him as a yearling from breeder Stonestreet Farm. He is out of the stakes-winning Empire Maker mare Supreme, whose dam is a full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos.