Undefeated filly Silent Rule taken out of training; future uncertain

The unbeaten filly Silent Rule, who was considered a leading candidate for Ohio-bred championship honors heading into the state’s fall stakes, has been taken out of training and could be sold at auction in Kentucky this November.

Silent Rule has won all 10 of her career starts, including six outings this year, for owner John Hoctel and trainer Jay Bernardini. That includes consecutive stakes victories in the J. William Petro Memorial Stakes in May, the Best of Ohio Diana Stakes in June – defeating reigning statebred Horse of the Year Generous Lover - and the Best of Ohio Honey Jay Stakes against males on Aug. 14.

According to Horse Racing Nation, which first reported the news, Bernardini said the 4-year-old filly “wasn’t 100 percent sound” following her most recent win.

Silent Rule has been sent to Hoctel’s Florida farm to rehabilitate. Options on the table would include retiring the filly and potentially selling her as a broodmare prospect in November, or returning for a 2026 campaign for her current connections if she responds well to time off.

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