Silverinyourpocket overdue for win

Silverinyourpocket scored a rousing half-length win last May in the Grade 3 La Troienne Stakes during Derby week at Churchill Downs. Things have since gone awry, but Silverinyourpocket should be able to shift her fortunes in the featured fourth race on Wednesday at Hawthorne.

The race is a third-level allowance also open to $40,000 claimers, and will be run at 6 1/2 furlongs.

A distant eighth a month after the La Troienne in another Churchill stakes, Silverinyourpocket got a 30-day rest, returned to action in August, and promptly was third as the 4-5 favorite in an Ellis Park allowance race. Sent to Philadelphia Park for a futile September mission, Silverinyourpocket finished last of seven at a distance farther than her best and against horses much better than she in the Grade 2 Fitz Dixon Cotillion Handicap, a race in which the Breeders' Cup Distaff's third-place finisher, Octave, was second.

The pattern of disappointment appeared to continue on Oct. 31 back at Churchill, where Silverinyourpocket was fifth of six in another allowance race. But not so fast. There was precious little early pace at fast-playing Churchill in that race, and Silverinyourpocket had already fallen seven lengths behind the leaders at the first call. While she ran her final quarter-mile in about 23.60 seconds - racehorse time - Silverinyourpocket could make no impact on fresh front-runners who came home in about 24.40 seconds.

"I was hoping for a quarter in 21 and a half in 45 in order for her to get up at three-quarters," said Helen Pitts, who has trained Silverinyourpocket for all her races save the Cotillion, where she ran under Scott Lake's name. "She's probably best at seven, seven and a half furlongs."

Six and one-half furlongs on the long-stretch Hawthorne track will have to do, and less talented competition should help propel Silverinyourpocket to an overdue fourth career victory.

"Right now, I'd just like to get a win into her before going to Florida," Kentucky-based Pitts said. "She should be able to handle that track, and she's doing good. I just hope I got her in the right spot to get her through the condition."

Ripe Tomato, another contender, already has won a race this meet under Wednesday's conditions. That came two starts ago at Wednesday's 6 1/2-furlong distance, while in her most recent try Nov. 2, Ripe Tomato broke last of 10 from the fence and could only rally for fourth going six furlongs.

Another possibility is Blue Canyon, whose trainer, Kelly Ackerman, won the overnight stakes race Sunday at Hawthorne with Byenne.