Stormy Silence ready to make noise in Woodbine Thursday feature

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Stormy Silence made quite a splash when the Ontario-sired 4-year-old notched her debut June 18 in an open maiden-special at 25-1 while earning $73,920 (Canadian) for her connections.

The nonwinners-of-two opposition that Stormy Silence faces in Thursday’s Woodbine headliner isn’t much tougher than the field she just beat, because the hybrid race combines Ontario-sired runners with $40,000 claimers. That makes her the one to fear most in the six-furlong main turf sprint.

Stormy Silence put away a rival up front en route to a 1 1/4-length tally in her five-furlong opener on the inner turf. Her time of 56.25 seconds translated into a 75 Beyer Speed Figure, which is the second-highest Beyer posted by any of the seven runners in Thursday’s feature.

Sahin Civaci retains the mount on the homebred daughter of Silent Name, who is owned by the partnership of trainer Shelley Fitzgerald and Martin Wickins.

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Bodacious Miss earned a 78 Beyer when third in a first-level allowance traveling seven furlongs on the main turf last September, but the daughter of Bodemeister has struggled in the interim in allowance company. Her two races at this stand were both on the inner turf, and perhaps a change in courses coupled with a class drop to compete with a $40,000 tag on Thursday could get her back on the beam.

Eswan Flores inherits the ride from the suspended apprentice Slade Jones on Bodacious Miss, who is trained by Steve Owens.

American Gamble had a productive spring for trainer Mike DePaulo. She dominated Ontario-sired and $40,000 maidens going 5 1/2 furlongs in her May 8 comeback before coming up empty in a seven-furlong nonwinners-of-two contest.

When cutting back to 5 1/2 furlongs at this level on June 18, she prevailed in a front-end battle before weakening to second behind Verdejo, who subsequently won an open allowance off the claim. Fourth-place finisher Basalt Street returned to beat $25,000 claimers.

Luis Contreras will ride American Gamble again in her first non-Tapeta start. The offspring of her sire, Gamble’s Exchange, are 4 for 10 on the grass. Her dam won an allowance here on the main turf, but just one of her five turf runners were victorious.

Fourteen Days is exiting the same key race as American Gamble and also is experimenting on the grass, but she’s been in poor form since winning her maiden nearly a year ago. She is by the 10 percent turf sire Old Forester, and there’s no turf breeding in her immediate family.

Systematic rallied for fourth in both of her local outings after trainer Marty Drexler claimed her for $20,000 at Gulfstream in February.

The off-form Philly Eagles is descending from first-level allowance company, with blinkers on.

Rounding out the field is the low-level claimer Allpaidup.

The feature goes as the fifth race on a seven-race card. The new post time for Thursday racing is 5 p.m.