Silver Moose getting into gear

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - After a slow start this season, Silver Moose shows signs of solid improvement heading into the $55,000 King Bold Reality Stakes Tuesday afternoon at the Meadowlands Racetrack.

The race itself was also slow to develop. Originally slated for Friday night, the five-furlong turf stakes finally came together for the first matinee of the meet, which runs through Nov. 11. First post is 1:10 p.m.

Silver Moose, owned and trained by Eddie Broome, is winless in six races this year. The 4-year-old gelding finished third in his last two starts, including the My Frenchman Stakes at Monmouth Park on Sept. 10. Those are the only in-the-money finishes of his this season.

"Hopefully, he's just starting to come around," Broome said. "He just wasn't doing real good at the beginning of the [Monmouth] meet. He's doing better now and the five-eighths of a mile should produce a quicker pace, which will be better for him."

Silver Moose was far more effective last year with 2 wins and 2 seconds in 10 starts, including a narrow loss to the outstanding turf sprinter Terrific Challenge in the Bergen County Stakes here.

"He ran good at the Meadowlands last year," Broome said. "Hopefully, he'll run good up there again."

Silver Moose isn't the easiest horse to train. "I get on him every day and he's a pain in the butt," Broome said. "He wants to run off all the time."

The gelding should be sharper this time. His works are usually pedestrian but the latest on Sept. 22 at Monmouth was a three-furlong breeze in 35.60 seconds.

"I wanted a little more speed," Broome said. "I wanted to get him on his toes."

Silver Moose breaks from post 8 with regular rider Jose Lezcano aboard.

Man of Danger, another of the top contenders, starts to his outside. Man of Danger won his last two at Monmouth, including an off-the-turf third-level allowance in which Silver Moose was third. The outside post should suit his pace-pressing style. Alan Garcia will ride for trainer Bruce Levine.

Maddy's Lion makes his grass debut for trainer Tim Hills after fruitlessly chasing Who's the Cowboy, the top sprinter at Monmouth over the summer, in the Teddy Drone and the Icecapade Stakes.

He will break from post 6 with Eddie Castro in the irons.