Silver State holds on at the wire
HOT SPRINGS — Winchell Thoroughbred’s and Willis Horton’s Silver State, the 4-5 favorite, overcame End Zone Athletic’s Hunka Burning Love just before the wire to win the $150,000 1-mile Fifth Season Stakes for horses 4-years-old and up in 1:37.77 before an estimated crowd of 2,600 at Oaklawn on Saturday.
Hunka Burning Love, a 7-year-old son of Into Mischief off at 4-1, finished second by a nose. Night Ops finished third, 33/4 lengths behind the winner and 41/4 lengths in front of Nifty, fourth in the field of six.
Hronis Racing’s Combatant scratched.
Lawrence Roman’s and Heads Up Racing Stable’s Pioneer Spirit, winner of the 2020 Fifth Season, was in the leadership mix until late but faded to finish fifth, 51/2 lengths behind the winner.
Ridden by defending and seven-time Oaklawn riding champion Ricardo Santana, Jr., Silver State’s win was Steve Asmussen 699th as a trainer at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort. His track win total reached 700 one race later when Swiftsure won a 6-furlong $84,000 allowance race. Asmussen is a member of the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame.
“It was an extremely competitive race,” Asmussen said. “I was very happy, that being Silver State’s first stakes win.”
Hunka Burning Love led his previous start from the first call forward and held on to win the 1-mile-and-70-yard Jeffery A. Hawk Memorial Stakes at Remington Park in Oklahoma City on Dec. 18, so he figured as the most likely Fifth Season front runner and surprised no one as he took the lead from the gate.
Hunka Burning Love led through the 1opening quarter-mile by 1 /2 lengths over 47-1 Full Authority in 23.70. Pioneer Spirit was a head back in third, 11 /2 lengths ahead of Silver State, a 4-year-old son of Hard Spun, in fourth.
His lead was a length over Pioneer Spirit through the half in 47.68. Full Authority had dropped backed to fourth and eventually finished last. Silver State was 2 lengths off the lead in third.
Hunka Burning Love remained on the lead through three-quarters in 1:12.53. Pioneer Spirit and Silver State remained second and third, respectively, but by the head of the stretch, Silver Slate had moved into second, a half length back.
“I did feel pretty good,” Pioneer Spirit’s trainer Robertino Diodoro said. “I thought he was sitting perfect. When the running started, he just got outrun. No excuses. I’m a little disappointed, but he just got outrun.”
Silver State pulled even with Hunka Burning Love with 1/16th of a mile left and put his nose in front 10 yards from the wire.
“It did appear that he had gotten up in time for the wire,” Asmussen said. “Like I said, very happy to have a stakes win opening weekend, especially for Winchell and the Hortons.”
Asmussen said Silver State would be aimed next at the Grade III 1 1/16-mile Razorback Handicap, scheduled for Feb. 13.
“The horse came in here very fresh off two wins,” Asmussen said. “He’s here for the stakes schedule.”
Silver State had the Kentucky Derby as his original target last season. Based at Fair Grounds in New Orleans, he finished second in the 1 1/16-mile Lecomte Stakes, third in the Grade II 11/8-mile Risen Star Stakes, but seventh, 10 lengths back, in the Grade II Louisiana Derby, after which he was taken off the Derby trail.
After seven months off, he reemerged for a 7-furlong win in a $71,000 allowance race at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Ky., on Oct. 22. In his last start before the Fifth Season, he won a 7-furlong race against optional-claimers at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 27. He worked at Fair Grounds since early December to prepare for the Fifth Seasons.
“We’ve always loved his talent level,” Asmussen said. “He’s just an absolutely lovely horse. Hopefully, this is the first of many stakes wins for him.”