Saratoga: Silverette takes Caress Stakes in turf debut

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. _ Based on pedigree and a couple of “phenomenal” workouts on the Oklahoma grass course, trainer Dale Romans was confident Silverette would be able to make the switch from dirt to turf in Friday’s $100,000 Caress Stakes at Saratoga.

Did she ever.

Chasing the hot pace set by Rosa Salvaje, Silverette, under Robby Albarado, assumed command outside the quarter pole, opened up a sizeable advantage in midstretch, and held off a late run from Spun Cap to win the Caress by a neck. Spun Cap, who got bumped at the break, rallied stoutly under Joel Rosario and finished four lengths clear of third-place finisher Madame Giry, the 2-1 favorite.

[SARATOGA 2013: Complete meet coverage, exclusive DRF videos]

The win was the fifth from 10 starts for Silverette, a 4-year-old daughter of Street Sense out of the Holy Bull mare Holy Lightning. Silverette won a minor stakes on dirt at Monmouth on Memorial Day.

“She has a turf pedigree, but then when we took her over and breezed her, her two breezes on the grass were phenomenal, so I was pretty confident,” Romans said.

Breaking from the outside post in the eight-horse field, Silverette chased Rosa Salvaje - last year’s Caress winner - through an on opening quarter-mile in 21.39 seconds.
The two were basically on even terms through a half-mile in 43.70 seconds, but while Rosa Salvaje began to retreat, Silverette kept on going and held off the hard-charging Spun Cap.

Silverette, owned by Paul Pompa Jr., covered the 5 1/2 furlongs over a good Mellon turf course in 1:01.27, just .68 of a second off the course record.

“I was still as I can be. She was doing it very within herself,” Albarado said. “Very deceptive - it doesn’t look like or feel like she’s going that fast, but she’s moving.”

Romans said he would look to keep Silverette on the turf and point to a turf sprint at Parx on Sept. 2, either the $200,000 Turf Amazon for fillies and mares or the $350,000 Turf Monster where she would meet males. Both races are at five furlongs.

Romans said if Silverette continues to improve on turf, he might look to run her in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on Nov. 1.