Silent Sting charges to Kingarvie Stakes triumph

ETOBICOKE, Ontario — Silent Sting came charging along the inside in the stretch to win Saturday’s $125,800 Kingarvie Stakes at Woodbine, stamping himself as a prospect for next year’s Queen’s Plate in the process.

Silent Sting raced wide toward the rear of the eight-horse field on the backstretch, as Handsome Like Me set honest fractions in the 1 1/16-mile route for Ontario-sired 2-year-olds.

After looming into contention exiting the far turn, Luis Contreras angled Silent Sting to the rail with about a furlong left. They hit the front in deep stretch en route to a three-quarter-length score over another son of Silent Name, Beer Pressure. Be Vewy Vewy Quiet finished a close third, and was followed by Cooler Mike, Handsome Like Me, Ginger Sky, Royal Laser, Crumlin Night, Absolution, and Sheriff Clarke.

“I was very comfortable and had so much horse, sitting right behind horses,” Contreras said. “I was thinking to go outside, but I saw the rail (open) and took my chance to go inside.”

Silent Sting covered the distance in 1:44.97, and returned $6.60 as the favorite. He earned $75,000 in his first stakes win for Stronach Stable and trainer Sid Attard, who won three races on the card.