Silver Max retired to stud in Ontario

Grade 1 winner Silver Max has been retired from racing and will debut at stud at Adena Springs North in Aurora, Ontario, for the 2016 breeding season.

The 6-year-old son of Badge of Silver finished his career with 12 wins in 27 starts for earnings of $1,954,738. He earned his signature victory in the Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile in October 2013, a race that was moved from the turf to the Polytrack and marked the final defeat in the career of two-time Horse of the Year Wise Dan.

Silver Max also earned Grade 2 wins in the Virginia Derby, Bernard Baruch Handicap, American Turf Stakes, and Firecracker Stakes and Grade 3 victories in the Oceanport and Transylvania stakes. In addition, he won the non-graded Oliver, Arlington Classic, and Opening Verse stakes.

Dale Romans trained the horse for owners Mark Bacon and Dana Wells.

“He was an exceptionally gifted racehorse with natural speed,” Romans said. “I don’t recall many horses winning over eight different racetracks and leading at every call in each of his 12 lifetime victories.

“As far as stallion credentials, he was a top miler, setting a new course record against stakes company at that distance [in the 2012 Oliver Stakes at Indiana Downs], yet he was able to carry his speed 10 furlongs. Winning stakes on dirt, turf, and synthetic underscores his athleticism. The owners and I are very pleased that he’ll be entering stud at Adena Springs North next year. We know he’ll get every opportunity to succeed there.”

Bred in Kentucky by Steve Snowden, Seth Lauffer, and Will Lauffer, Silver Max is out of the winning Kissin Kris mare Kissin Rene, who is the dam of three winners from six foals to race, including stakes winner True Kiss. He is from the family of Canadian champion Kiss a Native and Grade 1 winner and sire Yes It’s True.

A stud fee hasn’t been announced.