Silentio to give Polytrack a try in Pat O'Brien

DEL MAR, Calif. – All Silentio has known in his 13-race career is racing on turf, with two graded stakes wins and a third-place finish in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Mile at Santa Anita among the highlights.

This weekend, there will be a change. Trainer Gary Mandella will run Silentio in Sunday’s $250,000 Pat O’Brien Stakes over seven furlongs on Polytrack instead of the $250,000 Del Mar Mile on turf the same day.

The experiment allows Mandella to possibly enhance the horse’s stallion value and take advantage of one of the last times Silentio can run in a stakes on Polytrack before Del Mar switches to a dirt track for 2015.

“I want to try it,” Mandella said. “We’re not going to have a chance to run on synthetic after this year. I wouldn’t do it at any distance less than seven-eighths.”

The Grade 2 Pat O’Brien field will include Fed Biz, who won the Grade 2 San Diego Handicap on July 26, and Big Macher and Goldencents, who were first and second in the Grade 1 Bing Crosby Stakes over six furlongs July 27.

By skipping the Del Mar Mile, Silentio will avoid facing Obviously, the top turf miler in California in the last year. Silentio was third behind Obviously in the Grade 3 American Stakes and Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile on turf at Santa Anita in the spring.

“I’m trading Obviously for Goldencents or Fed Biz, and Big Macher is no slouch,” Mandella said.

Silentio, by Silent Name, is owned by Alain and Gerard Wertheimer. A 5-year-old, Silentio won the Grade 2 Sir Beaufort Stakes in December 2012 and the Grade 2 Citation Handicap at Hollywood Park last November.