Maker has top prospect

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Louisiana Downs created the Sunday Silence Stakes back in 2007 to serve as a prep for the inaugural Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf, and the local race's two winners to date, Cherokee Triangle and City Style, both advanced to the big dance.

Saturday, trainer Mike Maker hopes he finds himself in a position to keep the trend alive. He will start probable favorite William's Kitten in the third running of the Sunday Silence, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 2-year-olds that has a purse of $150,000.

A field of eight will go, including Prince Eddington, who was second by a head in the local prep, the $50,000 Sunny's Halo, and Perfect Lou, who earlier in the meet was third in the $50,000 Minstrel at five furlongs on turf at Louisiana Downs.

Maker, who won the inaugural Sunday Silence with Cherokee Triangle, appears to have brought in another serious contender for the race in William's Kitten. The horse won his maiden at a mile on turf at Ellis Park in July, then came back and ran third in an allowance prep for the $200,000 Cradle at River Downs in his last start Aug. 15.

"He had trouble in the race and was probably second-best," said Maker.

The allowance looks even better now that the winner, Gleam of Hope, came back to take the Cradle, which was taken off the turf, by more than two lengths. William's Kitten, meanwhile, has remained sharp. He worked a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 seconds at the Churchill Downs training center Sept. 5, his final prep for his stakes debut Saturday.

"I'm happy with where I'm at with him," Maker said. "He's done everything we've asked, and I think he's a horse that's going to improve with age."

William's Kitten, a son of multiple Grade 1 winner Kitten's Joy, will break from post 8 under Garrett Gomez.

"I'd just like to see him stalk the pace around there," said Maker, who trains William's Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Others in the field Saturday include Speightstown Son, who is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner On a Soapbox, and King of the Bayou, who makes his two-turn debut off a win in the $75,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile at six furlongs at Louisiana Downs on Aug. 1.