Stormy Silence backs up to allowance company

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stormy Silence drops from stakes company into a cozy spot in Thursday’s featured second race at Woodbine. Scheduled for 6 1/2 furlongs on the main turf, the nonwinners-of-three event combines Ontario-sired allowance types with $40,000 claimers.

Stormy Silence, a 4-year-old trained by Shelley Fitzgerald, won her June 18 debut at 25-1 in an open maiden special going five-eighths on the inner turf. She used a speed style once again to double up against Ontario-sired allowance company and $40,000 claimers in a six-furlong main turf sprint on July 14.

Fitzgerald said Stormy Silence served notice that she was talented and quick before her opening race.

“I hadn’t really been aiming for that race, but she was ready,” Fitzgerald recalled. “There were other races that didn’t end up going, so we thought we’d put her in and see what happened. She really impressed us. The second time, it was a different turf course, so you don’t know how they are going to handle that. But she’s handled everything. She acts very professional.”

Stormy Silence tested Ontario-bred stakes opposition on the inner turf most recently Sept. 4 in the five-furlong Zadracarta. Sent off as the 5-2 favorite, she showed a new dimension tracking the leaders along the inside before hitting the front in the stretch, only to get caught late by a charging Lorena.

Fitzgerald said was forced to miss the Oct. 9 Eternal Search Stakes with Stormy Silence.

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“She had some stomach issues,” Fitzgerald explained. “She wasn’t very well for about a week around the time I was getting her ready for the Eternal Search. We got her over that and we trained her for about 10 days and then gave her an easy breeze just to make sure everything was okay and that she wanted to do it. She breezed a good half and came back with a five-eighths where she galloped out really strong.”

From post 4, Sahin Civaci retains the mount Stormy Silence, who’s owned by Fitzgerald in partnership with Marty Wickins. They co-bred the daughter of Silent Name.

Gamble’s Silver looks second-best in the eight-horse body of the race.

Trained by Josie Carroll for owner Ivan Dalos, Gamble’s Silver finished second in each of her last two outings at this level. She got a 76 Beyer Speed Figure two back going seven-eighths on the main turf, which isn’t far off the Beyers in the high 70s that Stormy Silence has earned.

Ya Mar is returning from a 4 1/2-month layoff following a three-race spring campaign, during which she was a beaten favorite on each occasion. She won the South Ocean Stakes for Ontario-sired juvenile fillies last November.

Among the two main-track-only entrants, Loaded Question is coming off a wide third behind Gamble’s Silver on the Tapeta on Oct. 1.

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