West Coast Belle, Top Decile head strong Silverbulletday cast
RACE REPLAY IS NOT AVAILABLE
NEW ORLEANS – The North American graded stakes committee says that the $125,000 Silverbulletday Stakes is an ungraded race. The past performances for Saturday’s 3-year-old filly stakes at Fair Grounds say otherwise.
The Silverbulletday drew a field of nine fillies, among them West Coast Belle and Top Decile. The former, unbeaten in her three starts at 2, won the Grade 2 Golden Rod in her most recent outing. All Top Decile did last year was rally furiously for second in the Grade 1 Alcibiades and the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile fillies after a debut win at Saratoga.
Throw listed stakes winners Zooming and Money’soncharlotte into the pot, along with the promising stakes-debuting Forever Unbridled and Divine Dawn, and this looks like the deepest Silverbulletday in years.
The race, contested at one mile and 70 yards on dirt, is the ninth of 12 races Saturday and is the second leg of an all-stakes pick four that concludes with the Lecomte. Participating pick four bettors will widely restrict play in the Silverbulletday to the big two, West Coast Belle and Top Decile.
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Key contenders
West Coast Belle (Last 3 Beyers: 87-77-66)
* Had no business winning her career debut, a short sprint at Monmouth, where she still trailed by several lengths at the stretch call. Her powerful finish presaged her subsequent performances in longer races.
* Professional and talented, she made multiple moves in her stakes wins at Churchill Downs and was caught wide around the far turn in both starts.
* Unraced since late November, she has been trained to put forth a representative performance Saturday, with her connections planning on awaiting the Fair Grounds Oaks after this start.
“She’s ready to go now,” said trainer Wayne Catalano.
* Set up for a good trip from post 2 Saturday.
“We’re going to save ground, and we’ll let Shaun [Bridgmohan] take it from there,” Catalano said.
Top Decile (Last 3 Beyers: 82-83-81)
* Second by a half-length in the BC Juvenile Fillies behind the likely 2-year-old filly champion Take Charge Brandi, she was a huge longshot who appeared at the time to benefit from what looked like a speed bias.
“That’s what people were saying,” said trainer Al Stall. “But certainly Take Charge Brandi came back and proved she was no fluke. I think post and trip hurt us as much as anything there.”
* Relaxed, classy filly has worked sharply at Fair Grounds as she seeks her first stakes win.
* Gets a six-pound weight break from West Coast Belle under the allowance condition.
Forever Unbridled (Last 2 Beyers: 78-70)
* Full sister to the 2014 Silverbulletday winner, Unbridled Forever.
“She’s made different than the other horse,” said trainer Dallas Stewart. “She has a little more meat on her bones.”
* Faced suspect competition in her two maiden races. Has to run faster.