Sharp Swinger may get first run in restricted Silks Stakes

Sharp Swinger has more natural speed than a number of his key rivals in the $135,000 Silks overnight stakes and that might give him a tactical advantage on Friday at Oaklawn Park, where he is 2 for 2.

The Silks is a six-furlong race for 3-year-olds who have not won a stakes other than statebred. It’s part of the new $1 pick six sequence that has a three-day carryover of $45,113.

Sharp Swinger will face eight others, including Amarosa, a multiple stakes winner who is cutting back to one turn off a series of route races; Faust, who owns the field’s best last-race Beyer Speed Figure of 92; and Kalahari Dreams, who will get good support off a runner-up effort in a second-level allowance at Churchill Downs.

Sharp Swinger might get first run at the leaders over Amarosa and Faust. Sharp Swinger has been forward in most of his races, and is drawn well in post 5. He’s situated just outside of Divine Justice, who could show the way from post 2, and Kalahari Dreams, who could press Divine Justice from post 3.

Sharp Swinger, who is 3 for 7 in his career, won a maiden race and a $50,000 starter allowance at this six-furlong distance at Oaklawn last season. Sharp Swinger enters Friday’s race off a win in a $50,000 claiming sprint Nov. 30 at Churchill. He covered six furlongs in a sharp 1:09.60 while making his first start since April and his first against older rivals. He earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 87.

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Trainer Mike Maker said there were a couple of reasons to target the Silks.

“He ran a very impressive race off the layoff and that condition fit him well,” he said. “It’s also the last time of the year to face 3-year-olds.”

Sharp Swinger, who is by Practical Joke, is a half-brother to Desivo, a Grade 2 winner of $509,839. Ricardo Santana Jr. has the mount for Paradise Farms Corp.

Maker has 24 stalls at Oaklawn this meet. They are located in the longtime barn of Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, who died in June. Maker is a former assistant to Lukas and Oaklawn officials thought it would be respectful to put Maker in the barn.

“Very honored,” Maker said. “I’ve got a lot of fond memories when I worked for Wayne, and we became close.”

Faust can take advantage if the pace gets hot in the Silks. He closed for third in a first-level allowance Nov. 27 at Churchill. The race went in good time and he popped a career-high Beyer.

Faust will start from post 9.

“He’s a big, tough son of a gun,” said trainer Steve Asmussen. “I think the post suits him because he doesn’t have a great first jump, and he’s kind of momentum [building.].”

Faust, a son of Volatile, won a maiden special weight at this distance last May at Oaklawn.

Erik Asmussen has the mount for Bill and Corinne Heiligbrodt.

Amarosa has won a pair of Iowa-bred stakes. He is a seven-time winner, and the most accomplished member of the field. He was a stakes winner at this distance in 2024, and this August won the Cyclones Stakes over 1 1/16 miles. He defeated older Iowa-breds in that race during a streak in which he won four consecutive route races.

Tyler Bacon has the mount for trainer Chris Hartman.

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