Silver Haze wins Woodchopper

BOSSIER CITY, La. - Silver Haze's final start this year was supposed to be a return to the turf course that produced a pair of stakes victories during the Louisiana Downs meeting but overnight rains forced Sunday's Fair Grounds at Louisiana Downs' Woodchopper Stakes to the main track. The surface mattered little as Silver Haze ($3.60) outdueled second choice Zetetic down the stretch to win the mile and one sixteenth feature by a half length. Charming Kid reported home third followed by Lucky Bid. Cosmic Kris and Pirates Bite were late scratches.

Under patient handling by regular rider E. J. Perrodin, Silver Haze trailed early through leisurely fractions of :24.37 and :48.14 before moving closer into the far turn. Zetetic had taken control at that point and the two raced to the wire together with Silver Haze on the outside. The final time was 1:46.58 over a drying out track labeled good.

Trained by Steve Wren for Kaaren Biggs, Silver Haze has now won six times from 17 starts as he made his first start since a seventh place finish in this year's Grade 2 Super Derby on October 1 during the Louisiana Downs season. The 3-year-old Silver Deputy has now banked just over $207,000.