Farrell lives up to expectations in Silverbulletday
High expectations have been placed on the young filly Farrell, who hails from a family of Grade 1 winners, and she stepped up to the plate in today’s $150,000 Silverbulletday Stakes, making her three-year-old debut a winning one. The Silverbulletday, a one mile and 70-yard race at Fair Grounds for three-year-old fillies, awards Kentucky Oaks points on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers.
Leaving from post three, Farrell, trained by Wayne Catalano, broke as the 4-5 favorite under jockey Channing Hill. The pair settled in second behind front-running Gris Gris, while Summertime Sky and 8-5 second choice Untapped, a full sister to champion Untapable, followed in pursuit. Wicked Lick ran in the fifth position and Seeking Bull trailed the field.
Gris Gris opened the first half-mile in fractions of :23.80 and :47.67 on a muddy track. Hill waited patiently to ask his filly for more, but Untapped was moving up beside Farrell as they approached the three-quarters pole in 1:13.31. Once in the homestretch, Farrell lived up to her favoritism and pulled away while Untapped moved in the opposite direction. The mile went in 1:39.64 and Farrell hit the wire in 1:44.01. She finished 2 ¾ lengths in front of fast-closing Wicked Lick.
Farrell returned $3.60, $2.80, and $2.10 to her bettors and 8-1 Wicked Lick delivered $5.60 and 3.80. 16-1 Gris Gris held for third and paid $4.20. Summertime Sky, Untapped, and Seeking Bull completed the order of finish. Harkness was scratched.
“It went accordingly,” Catalano said. “Channing thought (Gris Gris) would have some speed, so I told him we would just go to the front and sit right off her. That’s what we did. We had a nervous moment (at the top of the stretch), but not a whole bunch. You want to wait until mid-stretch here before you really worry. At that point, she was looking nice and Channing was sitting pretty good.”
“This is a very classy filly,” commented Hill. “She’s bred to be a good horse and the whole barn has done a good job getting her to this level. She shut off really nicely for me, took a few deep breaths down the backside and then punched home when (Untapped) came outside of me.”
Bred and owned by Coffeepot Stables, the Silverbulletday improved Farrell’s career to three wins and one third from five starts, including a gate to wire victory last out in the Grade 2 Golden Rod. So far she has earned $241,357 on the track. Farrell is by Malibu Moon and out of the Unbridled’ s Song mare Rebridled Dreams, the dam of Grade 1 winners Carpe Diem and J. B.’s Thunder, as well as Grade 2 placed Semper Fortis.
With 10 points from both the Golden Rod and Silverbulletday, Farrell has earned a total of 20 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. She is currently tied for second with Golden Rod runner-up, Daddys Lil Darling. Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies champion Champagne Room is in first with 21 points.
By Christine Oser