Silent Star finds a good spot on turf in Friday feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stakes-placed Silent Star has found a cozy spot in Friday’s featured ninth race at Woodbine, and is one of three Ontario-sired allowance runners in the one-mile turf route for non-winners of three. The other nine entrants compete with a $40,000 claiming tag, including the coupled entry of Two to Tango and Stealth Bolt.

Silent Star, a 4-year-old trained by David Bell, finished third in the 2012 Nandi Stakes and second in last year’s Classy ’n Smart Stakes. She rallied for second in her five-furlong season opener April 12 before ending up sixth in the restricted Ballade Stakes.

Silent Star switched to the turf in a first-level allowance May 31, when she finished a creditable third. She’s coming off a narrow loss at Friday’s level on the Polytrack to Neesa, who subsequently ran third in a difficult allowance.

Justin Stein retains the mount on Silent Star, who breezed five furlongs in a bullet 1:00.20 on July 11.

Two to Tango, a daughter of leading sire Tapit, is tagged for the first time off a flat fourth in a 1 1/8-mile second-level allowance. She was previously victorious over Silent Star and Holy Empress, who came back to prevail in a first-level allowance.

Stealth Bolt is the much weaker half of the entry. She has been beaten by double-digit lengths in all five of her outings following her first-out maiden victory in June 2013.

Pretty Two Faced is experimenting on the grass with some breeding for the surface. Her sire, Niigon, has produced a solid 14 percent grass winners, and her dam has produced a turf winner along with a filly who finished third in a minor turf stakes.

Holy Academy can contend in her third race following an extended layoff. She raced in tight quarters in midstretch before making up ground to finish a lapped-on third going a mile at this level June 8.

Mauna Kea overcame a terrible break to beat Ontario-sired allowance stock three races ago on the Polytrack. She closed belatedly for fourth behind Holy Academy in a subsequent turf try June 8.

Zinnia rallied wide to prevail in a recent optional claimer around two turns on the turf at Fort Erie.

Simple as That hasn’t raced since the fall, when she was in mediocre form. She wound up third traveling a mile in her first outing last year.
Flashing Honor is overmatched. Reel Good Movie, Sharina, and Plenty of Honour are all unplaced on the grass.