Silent Fusaichi aims for first stakes win

Silent Fusaichi, who began her career in France, can win the first stakes of her career when she starts as a top choice in the $60,000 Chavez County at Zia Park.

The one-mile race for fillies and mares drew a well-matched field of seven, including Lil E Rose, a stakes winner in her last start, and I'm N Clover, who ran second in four straight stakes between July and October.

Silent Fusaichi is on top of her game right now and enters the Chavez County off back-to-back wins at Zia. She romped by 9 1/2 lengths in a one-mile allowance Oct. 15, earning a career-best Beyer Figure of 78. She then backed up to six furlongs, and proved a half-length best in an allowance on Nov. 12.

"She has really matured a lot since this summer," said Henry Dominguez, who trains the 3-year-old Silent Fusaichi for Tommy Town Thoroughbreds. "She's filled out. She's acting, I guess, like one of those Fusaichi Pegasus's that run better as they get older. She sure seems like that."

Silent Fusaichi, whose sire won the Kentucky Derby, is out of Silent Eskimo, a Grade 2 winner of $1 million. Silent Fusaichi won her maiden in her third start, in France. After racing in Southern California, she joined Dominguez's stable and in her first out for the barn ran second in the $40,000 Aspen Cup at Ruidoso Downs in June.

Ken Tohill has the mount on Silent Fusaichi, who will break from post 4.

"She's going to be laying up close to the lead," said Dominguez.