Our Silver Oak gets more ground in Snow Chief Stakes

ARCADIA, Calif. – As the field approached the finish of the $100,000 Silky Sullivan Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on April 28, Our Silver Oak found his best stride. He closed from fourth in the final furlong to finish a nose behind Irish Heatwave.

“Once he was able to get outside, he started flying,” trainer Jonathan Wong said. “He got a bad bob.”

The Silky Sullivan Stakes was run at a mile on turf. On Saturday at Santa Anita, Our Silver Oak is entered to run 1 1/8 miles on turf in the richest race of his career, the $200,000 Snow Chief Stakes for 3-year-olds.

The Snow Chief is one of two stakes for California-breds on the 10-race program. The other is the $100,000 Dream of Summer for fillies and mares at a mile on dirt. The Grade 3 Wilshire Stakes, an open race for fillies and mares, also will be run Saturday.

The Snow Chief drew a field of nine, including Irish Heatwave and Lieutenant Dan, who was third by a head in the Silky Sullivan.

On Saturday, Mike Smith rides Our Silver Oak for the first time over a distance that should suit the gelding, who has won once in 10 starts, all for owners Robert Jones, Michael Nentwig, and Ray Pagano.

“He wants more distance,” Wong said. “I don’t think the mile and an eighth will be a problem.”

A greater concern is an inside draw. Wong says that Our Silver Oak is best when racing on the outside. To be effective in the Snow Chief, Smith will need the long run to the first turn to get Our Silver Oak to the outside.

“It was the last post I would have chosen,” Wong said. “When you get him rolling, you don’t want to stop.”

While Our Silver Oak races from off the pace, Irish Heatwave tends to be near the front. He disputed the pace throughout the Silky Sullivan to win his first stakes.

“He’s always been honest and showed it in his last race,” trainer Keith Desormeaux said. “The mile and an eighth will be interesting, but I think he’s looking pretty good.”

Lieutenant Dan is the only other stakes winner in the field, having won the $200,000 Echo Eddie Stakes for statebred 3-year-olds at 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track here April 6. He closed from fourth in the Silky Sullivan as the 2-1 favorite to just miss under jockey Geovanni Franco, who has the mount Saturday. Lieutenant Dan looks to be a danger as a stalker in this field.

Three runners will have their first start in a stakes, including Desmond Doss, who won a maiden race for statebreds at a mile on turf June 8 in his second start.

“The distance plays to his favor,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “Hopefully, he fits with those horses.”

Dream of Summer Stakes

Starr of Quality was sixth behind Paradise Woods in the Grade 2 Santa Margarita Stakes in April, and she has a much easier assignment in the Dream of Summer, which drew only four runners.

Trained by Bill Spawr, Starr of Quality was third for the first six furlongs of the Santa Margarita before rapidly fading.

“I’m throwing out the last race,” Spawr said. “We tried to run with the favorite, and that was a mistake, instead of taking her back and making one run.”

Starr of Quality won an allowance race at a mile against open company in January.

The only stakes winner in the field is Bella Luma, who won the Golden Poppy on turf at Golden Gate Fields in May 2018. She was seventh in the Fran’s Valentine Stakes for statebred fillies and mares on turf May 12, her first start for trainer Brian Koriner.