Meadowlands: Silverman's legacy honored in two thrilling Saturday stakes

The late Hall of Famer Jerry Silverman will be honored for the first time on Saturday night with a race in his name at the Meadowlands, a site he came to prominence at during its infancy. Silverman's decades in the business gained public attention in the mid-60's, when, at the age of 31, he guided Romeo Hanover through a Triple Crown of Pacing season. Yet it wasn't until the arrival of the Meadowlands in late 1976 and the subsequent start of its Million Dollar Babies stakes races for 2-year-olds that Silverman and a host of eager owners began investing at the yearling sales and looking for prospects to pursue the seven-figure purses.

While Silverman may have been recognized initially for Romeo Hanover and later some quality pacing colts like upset Meadowlands Pace winner Hilarion (1986), as well as Die Laughing, to me he'll always be remembered for having a keen eye towards pacing fillies, with many ready to peak early in their 2-year-old seasons.

It was those fillies that were key to Silverman's success and at the time of the Million Dollar Babies they helped fuel the yearling sales as buyers were thrilled with the potential to race fillies and then turn them into broodmares in a universe that at the time was expanding rapidly.

One of Jerry's prized fillies showed brilliance early in her career but was unable to showcase her talents over time. The Big Towner filly Rodine Hanover got plenty of notice when she won as a 2-year-old in a 1:54 mile at Springfield (a wickedly-fast mile for the times) and some of that was typical Jerry Silverman hype. Most of it had to do with the blinding speed Rodine Hanover exhibited on the racetrack.

Much of Rodine Hanover's excellence on the racetrack came as a 2-year-old, as she won six of her 13 starts in 1984 but would struggle with only one victory in seven starts as a sophomore. Rightfully so at the time, Rodine Hanover's racing career would be the perfect one for those looking to breed mares with proven early success and high speed for future generations. The sport was hungry for those that could advance the breed and produce champions that hit the ground pacing in time for the seven-figure races at the Meadowlands.

Silverman's ability to spot horses with talent was exceptional but in the case of Rodine Hanover, a horse that he became attracted to as a yearling, the connection was pedigree. While she lacked something in the way of size, Rodine Hanover had the blood of champions and Silverman knew that firsthand. Her dam Romona Hanover was in fact a full sister to the 1966 Triple Crown winner Romeo Hanover.

That Silverman found gold in Rodine Hanover may look like a no-brainer today considering the breeding connection, but that wouldn't be fair to conclude since Romeo Hanover had a far more accomplished sister in the champion filly Romalie Hanover that never quite caught on as a broodmare.

In honoring Silverman's memory with the re-titling of the Mistletoe Shalee, a race that has two divisions this Saturday at the Meadowlands, the track has somehow come up with the race of the year for those sophomore pacing fillies Silverman would have loved to have found at auction or trained up to this very level. The second $100,000 division (race 12) may well be one of the best collections of sophomore fillies in one race the Meadowlands has seen in quite some time. With due respect to last year's final that saw Mistletoe Shalee champion Sylvia Hanover's epic performance in defeating archrival Twin B Joe Fresh, the 10 fillies assembled in the second Silverman stanza make this race much deeper.

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It is no surprise that nearly 40 years following Rodine Hanover's days on the racetrack, both daughters and sons descending from her life as a broodmare find themselves in the very race honoring Silverman. Take Miraculous Deo (post two) as a primary example. Her dam Worldly Beauty was able to achieve on the racetrack in a major way, earning $1.9 million in the process. To many of the sport's history buffs, Worldly Beauty's size and high speed reminded them of her granddam Rodine Hanover in so many ways. They were both on the small side but had incredibly high turn of foot. Rodine's daughter World Order is the dam of Worldly Beauty, and while she is lesser known among the family hierarchy, it should be noted that World Order retired as the third richest daughter by Nihilator, a champion on the racetrack but less so in the breeding shed.

While Miraculous Deo carries the blood of Rodine Hanover, that may not be enough for her to capture the first Jerry Silverman Memorial. Another filly from the identical maternal family, Odds On Steno, a filly by Bettor's Wish that drew post six, could be the sleeper that helps complete the fairytale story. The New Jersey Sire Stakes champion has captured three of her four starts this year for trainer Tony Alagna. Odds On Steno's dam Odds On St Lucie hails from the now more famous side of the Rodine Hanover family. She's a daughter of She's Some Treasure, herself a full sister to champion racehorse and leading sire Captaintreacherous. Worldly Beauty's full sister Worldly Treasure earned $1.8 million less on the racetrack, but her worth in the breeding shed far exceeds that for the family and the sport.

Captaintreacherous is well-represented in the Silverman Memorial with three fillies in the second division – Flawless (post one), Reigning Jade (post three) and Rocket Deo (post nine) – and one in the fifth race first division, Caviart Belle (post eight).

Both Flawless and Rocket Deo have put forth quality sophomore seasons after limited success as 2-year-olds. Flawless, a filly that was more than 100-1 versus this quality in the Fan Hanover, has found her form in Pennsylvania Sire Stake action recently for trainer Nancy Takter and enters the Silverman with high speed and confidence following a 1:49 3/5 victory on June 30 at Harrah's Philadelphia.

Rocket Deo (post nine) has two Sire Stakes wins to her credit among four wins in five starts this year.

Breeding roots aside, what makes the first edition of the Jerry Silverman Memorial must-see is the rematch of My Girl EJ (post four) and Fan Hanover champion It's A Love Thing (post five). Last year's Breeders Crown champion, My Girl EJ finished third behind Its A Love Thing in the Fan Hanover but since then has looked every part the champion with a pair of Sire Stakes wins to her credit. The Sweet Lou-sired homebred hopes to give leading trainer Ron Burke his first win in this stakes event.

Its A Love Thing showed speed and determination in her first-over Fan Hanover score and makes her Meadowlands debut on Saturday night for trainer Dave Menary.

The role of trainer in this sport has taken on different meanings over time. Jerry Silverman was likely ahead of his time in crafting relationships with owners and the media in a way that helped advance his career and the sport we love at the same time.