BY ED GRAY
Victoriam Farms LLC’s Stone Silent, a Florida-bred 4-year-old daughter of Adios Charlie, will put a three-race winning streak on the line in Friday’s $400,000 Unbridled Sidney (G3) on the Longines Kentucky Oaks (G1) undercard at Churchill Downs.
Stone Silent, who won three straight five-furlong turf stakes during the Championship Meet at Gulfstream Park, is rated second at 9-2 behind Ova Charged, the 7-2 favorite on the morning line for the five-and-a-half-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares, 3-year-olds and older.
Purchased for $410,000 by West Point Thoroughbreds and Talia Racing at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales 2022 March Sale of 2-year-olds-in-training, Stone Silent registered two victories, including a winning debut in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Debutante over Santa Anita’s main track June 18, 2022, in her first eight starts before selling to Victoriam Farm LLC at a mixed sale at Keeneland last November. She employed her natural speed to set the pace in a most of her races.
Stone Silent has yet to disappoint her new connections since being transferred to trainer Brian Lynch, having captured the $125,000 Abundantia on Dec. 31, the $115,000 Lady’s Turf Sprint on Feb. 11 and the $114,000 Captiva Island on March 10.
All of her recent success has come as a result of harnessing her speed enough to sit off the pace early. In her first start for Lynch, she broke next to last in a seven-horse field assembled for the Abundantia before rallying four-wide to win by a length-and-a-half. Stone Silent was more forwardly placed in the Lady’s Turf Sprint, in which she pressed the pace into the stretch before drawing away to win by two-and-a-half lengths. In the Captiva Island, she saved ground along the rail behind the pacesetter and drove through along the inside to win by a half-length.
Stone Silent, who was bred in Florida by William J. Terrell and Frank De Savino, will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, who was aboard for her three Gulfstream Park victories.
Stone Silent will break from the post position three for her graded-stakes debut, one stall outside Ova Charged, who is coming off four straight stakes victories at Fair Grounds, including a 12 ½-length win in the $100,000 Page Cortez, a five-and-a-half-furlong turf stakes restricted to Louisiana-bred fillies and mares last time out. The 6-year-old mare has won 12 of 15 career starts, including all three of her turf races by a combined 24 ¾ lengths.
Little Red Feather Racing’s Elm Drive will enter the Unbridled Sidney coming off a third-place finish in the five-and-a-half-furlong Giant’s Causeway (G3) at Keeneland. Phil D’Amato trains the 5-year-old daughter of Mohaymen.
Gary Barber’s Miss Speedy will enter the Unbridled Sidney in winning form.
Trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, the 6-year-old daughter of Super Speedy, who was Grade 3-placed last year, returned from a seven-month layoff to score an off-the-pace victory in a five-and-a-half-furlong optional claiming allowance on turf March 31 at Gulfstream Park.
Stone Silent’s sire, Adios Charlie, stands at Ocala Stud. His dam, Travelator, is a multiple graded stakes-placed winner of more than $650,000 in career earnings.
