Paulassilverlining bounds clear to win Garland of Roses

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - The class of the field on paper, Paulassilverlining was also the class of the field on the racetrack, taking the lead from Disco Chick just before the eighth pole and bounding clear to a 2 1/4-length victory in Saturday’s $122,500 Garland of Roses Stakes at Aqueduct.

Disco Chick, who dueled early with Kelsocait, finished second by 6 1/4 lengths over My Savannah Belle; it was 3 3/4 lengths back to Kelsocait. Callista finished last. Black Mission Fig and Old Valyria scratched.

My Savannah Belle was pulled up by jockey Rajiv Maragh after the wire and the filly was vanned off. According to the New York Racing Association, veterinarians suspect a potential tear of a sesamoid in her left foreleg. Further evaluation was planned.

For Paulassilverlining, the win was her eighth from 18 starts and her sixth stakes victory. The triumph was worth $75,000 and pushed her career earnings to $1,008,950. A 4-year-old daughter of Ghostzapper and a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Dads Caps, Paulassilverlining is owned and bred by Vincent Scuderi and trained by Michelle Nevin.

Jose Ortiz rode Paulassilverlining for his 57th stakes win of 2016, which ranks him second in the nation behind Javier Castellano.

Paulassilverlining was coming off a third-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Scuderi and Nevin had planned to give the filly a break, but Paulassilverlining demonstrated in the morning she didn’t need one.

She showed that as well on Saturday afternoon. Breaking from post 4 under Ortiz, Paulassilverlining sat third as Kelsocait and Disco Chick dueled through an opening quarter of 23.08 seconds. Kelsocait backed out and Paulassilverlining moved into second after Disco Chick ran a half-mile in 46.66 seconds. With Ortiz waving the whip at her and then smacking her once right-handed, Paulassilverlining made the lead just outside the eighth pole and widened her advantage despite drifting out a little in the stretch.

“By the three-eighths pole I didn’t get too confident, I asked her to get closer,” said Ortiz, who noted that he then battled with Disco Chick for a little bit before Paulassilverlining “went on. When she gets the lead by herself, she always gets a little loose.”

Paulassilverlining covered the six furlongs in 1:11.60 and returned $2.30 as the 1-9 favorite.

Asked what it meant to train racing’s latest million-dollar earner, Nevin said, “I wish I had her money. I’m very proud of her, how could you not be? She’s just been a star from the get-go.”

Paulassilverlining is expected to race in 2017, but whether she campaigns through the winter or gets a break remains to be seen.

“It’s up to her and it’s up to Vinnie,” Nevin said. “She is a filly that likes to go out and race.”