Silver Dust overcomes mistakes in Mineshaft

NEW ORLEANS – Physical talent never has been an issue with Silver Dust, but what exists between a horse's ears can sabotage raw ability. Even Saturday, very much improved from his wild early days, Silver Dust made mistakes. He acted up in the gate, throwing a brief fit, and in the homestretch failed to keep a straight course and wandered in and out.

But this time it didn’t matter. Winning his first stakes in his 19th start, Silver Dust captured the Grade 3, $150,000 Mineshaft Handicap by 2 1/4 lengths over Harlan Punch at Fair Grounds.

Silver Dust’s jockey, the England-born Jack Gilligan, also won the first stakes of his career.

“He’s got the ability there, when he decides to put it forward,” Gilligan said.

Silver Dust, a 5-year-old by Tapit out of Filare l’Oro who is owned by Tom Durant, has been gelded and given ceaseless instruction to try and get him to perform at his best. The work finally is returning dividends.

“We’ve always thought very highly of this horse,” winning trainer Bret Calhoun said. “It’s been constant working with him trying to figure things out, constant schooling in the paddock and gate. He’s starting to show up in afternoon like he does in morning.”

Harlan Punch wears a run-out blinker to keep him from getting out, but did so anyway into the first turn, interfering with Silver Dust. Harlan Punch raced farther off the pace than usual before making a move to contention and finishing second. But after the race he returned lame to be unsaddled. His left foreleg was splinted and Harlan Punch was taken off the track in an equine ambulance. X-rays showed no fractures.

Third-place finisher Flameaway made the front and set a crazily slow pace, going the first quarter-mile of this 1 1/16-mile dirt race in 25.93. Silver Dust staked the pace while racing in the clear and moved up willingly past the three-furlong pole to engage the pacesetter. “On the far turn he started giving it to me,” Gilligan said.

Flameway, tiring in his first start since August, couldn’t go with Silver Dust, who, despite his wandering course pulled away to the finish. He stopped the timer in 1:45.46 on a fast track and paid $13.40 to win.

Favored Lone Sailor, a closer, was disadvantaged by the slow pace while making his first start since a sixth-place finish in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, but never picked up much steam and finished sixth.

For Silver Dust, the obvious next stop would be the New Orleans Handicap on March 23. And if he stays on his best behavior, he might be good enough for that race, too.