Paulassilverlining looks for Matron surprise
ELMONT, N.Y. – One week after her older half-brother Dads Caps nearly pulled an upset in the Grade 1 Vosburgh Stakes, Paulassilverlining will try to pull off a mild surprise in Sunday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Matron Stakes at Belmont Park.
Paulassilverlining is one of eight pretty evenly matched juvenile fillies in the Matron, which is the co-feature along with the Futurity on Sunday’s 11-race card.
Paulassilverlining, a daughter of Ghostzapper trained by Michelle Nevin for owner-breeder Vincent Scuderi, finished fourth in a highly rated maiden race at Saratoga on July 27 won by High Dollar Woman. Paulassilverlining came back four weeks later and ran down a loose-on-the-lead Skipalute to win a maiden race by a nose. Gap Year, who finished third in that race, was entered to run in Friday’s Alcibiades at Keeneland as a maiden.
Both of Paulassilverlining’s races have been contested over wet surfaces. In her second start, she showed the ability to rate after contesting the pace in her debut. Jose Ortiz, aboard for her first two starts, will ride Paulassilverlining again.
Skipalute, though still a maiden, is entered back in this spot. She finished five lengths behind Paulassilverlining in that July 27 race before falling a nose short Aug. 22.
Paris Bikini, a daughter of Bernardini, could go off the slight favorite after winning her debut Sept. 12 for trainer Todd Pletcher and owner-breeder Bobby Flay.
Key contenders
Paulassilverlining (Beyers: 78-71)
◗ She was seemingly beat in an Aug. 22 race at Saratoga, trailing Skipalute by 2 1/2 lengths at the eighth pole, but got up in the final strides.
Darling Sky (Beyers: 78-38)
◗ Daughter of Sky Mesa won her debut impressively at Parx for trainer Butch Reid.
◗ When she ran back three weeks later, she caught an extremely sloppy track and finished fourth, beaten 25 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 1 Spinaway at Saratoga.
“She’s handled an off track fine, but we got huge thunderstorms when we were in the paddock, and there were two inches of water on the track, and the jock said she seemed uncomfortable on it,” Reid said.
◗ Reid did express concern with her rail post Sunday, noting that “she doesn’t like confined places too much.”
“In her debut, she was free-running,” he said. “Cornelio [Velasquez] is going to have to figure out how to get her out of that spot.”
Paris Bikini (Beyer: 79)
◗ She showed good speed under John Velazquez to win her debut by 1 1/2 lengths, running six furlongs in 1:09.58.
◗ She is a half-sister to America, who is 1 for 10 with third-place finishes in the Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks.