Suffolk: Silk Spinner best of four stablemates in Rise Jim

Silk Spinner has a chance to prove he’s the new boss of the Massachusetts-breds on Saturday when he makes his 2012 debut in the $50,000 Rise Jim Stakes at Suffolk Downs.

The winner of both the African Prince and the John Kirby stakes last year, Silk Spinner was clearly the best 3-year-old of his class. He is one of four horses trainer Adel Salim and his family’s stable have in the six-furlong Rise Jim, the kickoff to the statebred stakes program in Boston.
Joining Silk Spinner and jockey Gary Wales are Silks Solotude, Double Devilish, and Gorgeous Silk. All are veterans of Mass-bred stakes races and are making their first start this year. Salim is confident each is ready right away, especially Silk Spinner.

“He’s ready to go,” he said. “He knows the business now and is even better than last year.”

Silk Spinner posted a bullet five-furlong workout July 3.

“It was all on his own,” said Salim. “No pushing whatsoever.”

The top three finishers from last year’s Rise Jim are all back, with defending champion Sultan’s Prince and runner-up Same Day Pleasure making their seasonal debuts, Lord Kyle’s Quest – last year’s third-place finisher – finished seventh in an allowance July 3.

Of the horses with races this year, Fonzy has the best form. The 3-year-old Fonzy takes on older foes again after missing by just a head in a maiden race July 14 that also included older horses. Trained by Marcus Vitali and ridden by leading jockey Tammi Piermarini, Fonzy was third in last year’s Norman Hall Stakes.