Silver Max 'ready to roll'
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- Silver Max recently arrived at Saratoga from Kentucky and immediately showed a fondness for his new surroundings, working a strong half-mile in 48.28 seconds over the Oklahoma turf course in preparation for the $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap.
With jockey Robby Albarado in the irons, Silver Max went his first quarter-mile in 24.32 seconds and got his final quarter in 23.96 while permitted to work inside of the dogs, orange cones that usually keep turf workers to the outside. He galloped out five furlongs in 1:01.35.
“He looked awfully good today,” trainer Dale Romans said. “That’s as good as a horse can work. He’s ready to roll.”
Though Silver Max defeated Wise Dan in last year’s off-the-turf Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland, Romans said he is glad that he doesn’t have to face the two-time Horse of the Year in the Fourstardave.
“We beat him once, he beat us once. I’d just as soon not run against him anytime ever again if I don’t have to,” Romans said. “But we’re not ducking him. We were going here either way, but if you don’t have to run against him, why run against him?”
In other turf works of note, Grade 1-winning fillies Stephanie’s Kitten and Alterite worked a half-mile in 47.79 seconds in company. They continued to gallop out strongly through seven furlongs in 1:24.53. Both fillies are being pointed to the Grade 1 Beverly D. at Arlington Park on Aug. 16.
“They worked terrific. I thought they looked great,” trainer Chad Brown said.
Real Solution, preparing for a bid to repeat in the Arlington Million, worked five furlongs in 1:02.65 in company with Ghurair over the turf.