Bred and owned by Heste Sport Inc., My Silencer goes after his second straight stakes score in his second start when he takes on five rivals in Saturday’s $100,000 Kingarvie Stakes, at Woodbine.
Dismissed on the tote board in his debut on Halloween, in the seven-furlong main track Frost King Stakes, My Silencer, a two-year-old son of Silent Name, delivered his backers a 16-1 treat, winning by 3 1/2 lengths under Luis Contreras.
Now, the two-year-old Bill Tharrenos trainee attempts to add another added-money title to his record, this time in the 1 1/16-mile Kingarvie.
“He did surprise me,” admitted Tharrenos, of the eye-catching opener. “I was very pleased with the way he ran. I knew he had some talent, but I didn’t know he was going to run like that. He really impressed me.”
What was going through his mind as he watched My Silencer widen his advantage after being ahead by two lengths at the stretch call?
“I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Tharrenos, a lifetime winner of 210 races, whose top horses include Shesanaturalblonde and Lucky Be Me. “I was wondering what happened to everyone else. There are a lot of good babies out there right now and yes, he’s one of them. I’m really looking forward to this race. His work (five furlongs, :59 2/5ths, breezing, on the Toronto oval Tapeta) was unbelievable.”
The veteran conditioner points to the Ontario-bred’s personality as a big reason behind the early success.
“He’s a very smart individual. He’s matured mentally since he’s come in at the beginning of the year. He’s got some length and height to him, which you don’t get too much of with a Silent Name. I’m hoping he will get that distance and I’m looking forward to the race.
“We’ve been trying to teach him how to relax a little bit, to run at horses. In that last work, he was sitting behind another horse, about two or three lengths back, and he was down on the inside. In the stretch, he was pulled out and he took off like a rocket.”
Tharrenos, who has 28 wins on the campaign, is hoping to land in the winner’s circle again this Saturday.
Although the distance is a question mark, he believes the bay gelding can provide a winning answer in the Kingarvie.
“Luis, he just couldn’t believe it,” offered Tharrenos of the debut victory. “He told me the horse runs like a mature, older horse. If we get the two turns, we’re the one to beat. “
Dun Drum and Blessed Two, second and fourth, respectively, to My Silencer in the Frost King, are also entered for Saturday’s feature race.
First post on Saturday’s 11-race card at Woodbine is 1 p.m. The Kingarvie, slated as Race 8, is set for 4:38 p.m.
$100,000 Kingarvie Stakes
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Pay for Peace – Rafael Hernandez – Rachel Halden
2 – Silent Mistake – Gary Boulanger – Norm McKnight
3 – My Silencer – Luis Contreras – William Tharrenos
4 – Dun Drum – Emma-Jayne Wilson – Ian Black
5 – Blessed Two – Eurico Rosa da Silva – Kevin Attard
6 – Victor’s Dynasty – Omar Moreno – Tony Gattellaro
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