Silver Dust has 'sights set' on Fair Grounds' Louisiana Stakes

Trainer Bret Calhoun says “we’re ready to go” again with multiple graded stakes winner Silver Dust, who’s scheduled to begin his 2020 season on Jan. 18 at Fair Grounds.

The 6-year-old gelding by Tapit will come off the bench in the Grade 3, $100,000 Louisiana Stakes, a race in which he finished second to Harlan Punch in 2019 before turning the tables next out in the Mineshaft Handicap (G3). Tom Durant’s Silver Dust went on to win last year's West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G2) and earn other graded placings. He never finished worse than fourth, with that result coming in Churchill Downs’ Alysheba (G2) against some top-class foes on Kentucky Derby weekend. Silver Dust was last seen finishing second in Churchill’s Lukas Classic Stakes (G3) in September. He returned to the work tab in November and stretched out in the mornings approaching the new year. Most recently, Silver Dust breezed ¾ of a mile in 1:12.60 on Sunday toward the Louisiana, a 1 1/16-mile event that figures to attract some other top older horses in New Orleans. “We’ve had our sights set on that race,” Calhoun said. “I wasn’t really trying to figure out who is doing what or going where. It’s pretty much our spot.” A horse for the course, Silver Dust has never finished outside of the exacta in previous races over this distance at Fair Grounds. That includes a victory taken by disqualification in March of 2018 before he prevailed under allowance conditions in December of the same season. “He’s training phenomenally,” Calhoun said. “He’ll be at a little bit of a disadvantage coming off a layoff, but he’s training really well down here. He’s (thriving) and everything has been very positive.” An earner of $642,227 in 24 career starts, Silver Dust has won five times, finished second seven times and sports two third-place results. The Louisiana Stakes draws Saturday as an undercard event for the Lecomte (G3), Fair Grounds’ first points-paying Derby prep of the year.