Debut winners go for big score in Silky Sullivan Stakes

Trainers Blaine Wright and Tim McCanna each took a chance by entering a recent debut winner in the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Sunday. The three-time Southern California Stakes winner Heck Yeah had been nominated to the race, and the locals would likely be running for second if he were entered.

When entries for the Silky Sullivan came out Thursday, Heck Yeah was not among the 11 in the field, greatly boosting the chances of the Wright-trained Aigle or the McCanna-trained Daddysprize of hitting a big score in their second start.

“Without him in there, it’s like a first-level allowance race for Cal-breds,” Wright said.

The Silky Sullivan for 3-year-olds and the $100,000 Campanile for 3-year-old fillies both will be run Sunday at Golden Gate. Part of the Golden State Series of stakes for California-bred or -sired horses, only three of the 11 runners in the Silky Sullivan have won on turf, and four are making their turf debuts. Aigle and Daddysprize each won a maiden race for California-breds at Golden Gate, with Aigle winning on turf and Daddysprize on the Tapeta.

Aigle, by Unusual Heat, fought on or near the lead going 1 1/16 miles in his April 1 debut and held on to win by a lengths

“My horse ran lights out,” Wright said. “He showed speed and some gritty determination.”

Daddysprize, a son of Scat Daddy, won on the lead sprinting April 8.

“This horse had a good foundation going into his first race,” McCanna said. “Maybe we’re reaching a little bit, but Scat Daddy offspring run well on grass.”

Invaders worth watching are Hardboot, who graduated at the one-mile distance on the turf in November at Del Mar, and Psycho Dar, who ran second in the California Cup Turf Sprint in January at Santa Anita.

Campanile: Pulpit Rider formidable

Only one runner has a turf victory among the six Campanile participants – Pulpit Rider, who looks like a standout. She won the California Cup Oaks going a mile on the Santa Anita turf Feb. 19. She also is the only runner with more than one turf start.

In her last start, her first since the Cal Cup Oaks, Pulpit Rider finished fourth, beaten four lengths, in the Grade 3 Providencia on April 7 at Santa Anita.

Inland Empire comes here off a sixth-place finish, beaten 3 3/4 lengths, in a one-mile allowance for California-bred fillies and mares on the Santa Anita turf. She earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 73.

Lavadia makes her turf and route debut off a starter-allowance win going six furlongs on the Tapeta. Two of the three of the Comic Strip filly’s siblings have won on turf.