Silverbulletday Field Taking Shape

While the field of colts and geldings being pointed for the Grade III Lecomte Stakes on Road to the Derby Kickoff Day Jan. 22 was still taking shape Sunday, the 3-year-old fillies being considered for the $100,000 Silverbulletday on that same afternoon is more defined.

This year’s newly-named Silverbulletday Stakes is now the first leg of the sophomore filly series and was run last year as the Tiffany Lass. Last season’s Silverbulletday Stakes as the middle leg of that series, has been renamed the (Grade III) Rachel Alexandra Stakes and will be run Feb. 19. The final leg – the Grade II Fair Grounds Oaks – remains with the same name and will be contested on Louisiana Derby Day March 26.

Trainer Steve Margolis, who had a slew of male sophomores in his barn last season, has none of those now but does have two fillies possible for the upcoming Silverbulletday.

“I have one named Little Miss Holly (owned by Gold Square) and another named Bouquet Booth (owned by Right Time Racing),” said Margolis on Sunday. “I’m thinking about the Silverbulletday for both of them.”

Little Miss Holly, who broke her maiden with a six-length win here Dec. 9, breezed a bullet five-eighths in 1:01.40 Jan 3, while Bouquet Booth, who broke her maiden at Keeneland Oct. 15 and won the Grade III Delta Princess at Delta Downs Nov. 20, breezed a bullet five furlongs in 59.80 here on  New Year’s Eve.

Canandian trainer Josie Carroll is also thinking about the Silverbulletday with two of her trainees. “Right now I’m planning on the Silverbulletday for a filly I have named Inglorious (owned by Donver Stable),” she said, “but I’m also thinking about running another filly I have named Achieving (owned by Hill ‘n’ Dale Equine Holdings and James and Alice Sapara) in there.”

Inglorious is undefeated after two starts over Woodbine’s Polytrack course, breaking her maiden at first asking in Woodbine’s $150,000 Fanfreluche at six furlongs and winning again in the $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes Dec. 4 at 1 1/16-miles. The daughter of Hennessy breezed a bullet half in 48 on Jan. 4 here.

Achieving, a daughter of Bernadini out of a Storm Cat mare, finished fourth in her career debut here Jan. 2.

Also being pointed for the Silverbulletday, according to trainer Al Stall Jr., is Adele Dilshneider’s Aide, who breezed five furlongs in 1:00.60 here Saturday after finished fourth in Churchill’s Grade II Golden Rod Stakes on Nov. 27.