Scott Abbott Returns to Woodbine Stakes Winners Circle With a Runner

SILENT NAME (JPN), one of Canada’s all-time leading stallions, had two new stakes winners at Woodbine on November 21 when SILENT RUNNER and YA MAR won the Frost King Stakes and South Ocean Stakes, respectively. In addition, Gatling Gun finished third in the Frost King for his first stakes placing and he is also by Silent Name.

Adena Springs North’s 19-year-old stallion has 14 black-type horses in 2021 including Grade 1 winner Silent Poet and five other black-type winners, bringing his total to 61 black-type horses, 30 stakes winners.

SILENT RUNNER’s Frost King Stakes victory was also notable as it was C. Scott Abbott’s first stakes winner since he has owned horses on his own. Abbott has been in racing and breeding in Canada since the 1980s and he raced horses with friend John Haney including champion CHARLIE BARLEY.

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Of course Abbott, Haney, and brother Chris Haney are well known as being the inventors of the world-famous game Trivial Pursuit.

Abbott went on his own, owning horses early in the 2000s with trainer Mike Doyle. He also began breeding his own and one of the first ones he bred was FLASHY CONSORT, a 2003 filly by Bold’n Flashy – Lucania by Balzac. Flashy Consort was a hard-trying mare who earned over $200,000 and Abbott has done well with her as a broodmare. She has produced stakes-placed Silent Flash and multiple winners Gizmo Flash, Milwaukee Flash and Flashy Gizmo.

Her 2019 offspring is Silent Runner who already has over $200,000 (Can) in earnings thanks to his Frost King win and two other stakes placings in his first season of racing.

With a confident David Moran in the irons, Silent Runner watched an early tussle for the lead unfold before striking the front with authority late in the 6 ½-furlong main track affair for Ontario-sired two-year-old colts and geldings, going on to notch a three-quarter length triumph in his first stakes victory.

Sent off at 3-1, the Michael Doyle trainee sat fourth through an opening quarter in :23.47 posted by leader Where’s Neal, before moving into second spot after a half-mile timed in :46.50.

Once the seven-horse field straightened for home, Moran had Silent Runner in top gear, the duo holding a head advantage at the stretch call, then powering home impressively for the milestone score. Sir for Sure rallied stoutly to finish second, a half-length ahead of Gatling Gun.

The final time was 1:16.96.

“He’s a lovely little horse,” praised Moran. “He’s a real ATM machine. I was a little worried coming back so quick with him (a winning performance on November 12). So, he broke really fast and I was there to take him back and get him in behind the speed. He settled lovely and then as you saw, when I asked him, he ran right to the wire. He’s a lovely little guy.”

After finishing second in his debut in July, Silent Runner finished fourth in his next start on August 1. His maiden-breaking effort came one race later, on September 2.

The Frost King was the third stakes appearance for the colt, who was second in both the Ontario Racing Stakes and the Clarendon. For Doyle, a winner of over 1,100 races and a Sovereign Award winning trainer, it was his first stakes of the season.

Silent Runner paid $8.70 for the win.

Ya Mar wins the South Ocean for Gabe Grossberg – Michael Burns photo

*Another Silent Name (Jpn) offspring was a big winner on Nov. 21 as YA MAR, owned and bred by Gabe Grossberg, won the $100,000 South Ocean Stakes, a 6 ½-furlong main track race for Ontario-sired two-year-old fillies.

Loaded Vixen, the longest shot on the board at 23-1, took the lead, as Kazushi Kimura settled Ya Mar into second spot, a half-length behind the pacesetter, through an opening quarter-mile timed in :23.40.

Ya Mar, the 3-2 choice, took over top spot just ahead of the half, reached in :45.96, and then began to shake loose from her rivals.

Ahead by 2 ½-lengths at the stretch call, the dark bay, who arrived at the South Ocean off a third in the Shady Well Stakes on October 8, crossed the wire ahead of stablemate Lois Len by the same margin. Swinging Mandy was third.

The final time was 1:17.16.

“She’s a nice filly and pretty quick,” said Kimura, Woodbine’s leading rider who was aboard Ya Mar for the first time. “She’s very eager to run.”

Ya Mar’s dam, Shyama, is by Henrythenavigator from I’m Breathless and the mare is a half-sister to stakes winners Matador and Tiz Breathtaking. Bred by the late Bill Graham, Shyarma did not race for Grossberg and she has produced winners such as Threshold and Apprehension. Shyama was sold this past January at Keeneland, not in foal, for $1,000 to William Nicks.

Grossberg, who races and breeds throughout North America and has had many stakes horses, was breeding his first-ever Woodbine stakes winner.