Silent Sonet seeking first stakes win in Passing Mood

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – The lightly raced Silent Sonet may be a well-backed favorite when seeking her first stakes win Wednesday night in the $125,000 Passing Mood Stakes for Ontario-sired 3-year-old fillies.

The Passing Mood covers seven furlongs on the Woodbine turf.

The daughter of Silent Name has won two of her three starts by a combined 12 lengths. Her lone defeat came in her second start, the Alywow Stakes over 6 1/2 furlongs on turf June 11, when she finished fourth.

“That was a lot to ask from a lightly raced filly like her,” trainer Nick Gonzalez said. “She came out of it a lot better than she went into it. We did have a troubled trip. She was intimidated and buried down on the rail.”

Silent Sonet dominated her next start on turf following the Alywow, recording an 88 Beyer Speed Figure for her 5 1/4-length victory over six furlongs July 8. With dominant wins under her belt on both turf and synthetic, Gonzalez said the jury is still out on which surface might be best for Silent Sonet.

“That’s a really good question,” he said. “She was so impressive in her debut. It was just the way the races came up, and we moved to the turf, and she did well on it. I wouldn’t hesitate to run her back on the synthetic anytime because she’s showed that’s good, too.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Silent Sonet, by Silent Name Last 3 Beyers: 88-83-85

◗ Despite not racing as a 2-year-old, Silent Sonet showed ability in her training last season, Gonzalez said.

“She was showing real good things,” he said. “She had a little of this and a little of that, and she never made the races, but we thought very highly of her when she was a 2-year-old. Lucky for us, she made that transformation from 2 to 3.”

Silver Princess, by Old Forester Last 3 Beyers: 59-77-68

◗ She’s the lone stakes winner in the field, having won the Lady Angela Stakes over seven furlongs on Tapeta two starts back May 27.

◗ In her lone turf effort, she pressed the pace and faded to sixth in the Ontario Damsel Stakes on July 1.

Greek Justice, by Sky Conqueror Last 3 Beyers: 73-65-64

◗ She moved up while making her stakes debut in her first start on grass in the Ontario Damsel, where she was second to Financial Recovery.

◗ The daughter of Sky Conqueror, a Grade 1 winner on turf, has hit the board in all four of her starts as a 3-yearold, with two wins.

Listenlindalisten, by Court Vision Last 3 Beyers: 73-69-60

◗ In just her third start, she was third in the Ontario Damsel, her stakes debut.

◗ Owner Conrad Farms recorded its first stakes win in last Saturday’s Grade 3 Royal North at Woodbine with Jennifer Lynnette.

Blinkers help Cool Catomine

Cool Catomine gave trainer John Ross his first victory in the Prince of Wales Stakes on dirt at Fort Erie Race Track on July 25. Evidently, the addition of blinkers following the colt’s seventh-place finish in a maiden race over 1 1/16 miles on Woodbine’s Tapeta on June 10 has positively affected his form.

Ross said he consulted with jockey Luis Contreras following that June 10 start, and Contreras recommended adding blinkers for Cool Catomine’s next race, which resulted in his July 2 maiden victory.

“It was all a matter of teamwork between the rider and the trainer, and things worked out,” Ross said. “The first time he went a mile and a sixteenth, I really liked him in that race, and he didn’t perform the way I had been watching him work. When I watched the replay, I could see the horse looking around and hesitating. We added the blinkers, and did he ever change. He’s more focused in his races, and he keeps his mind right on business.”

Ross said Cool Catomine will be considered for the third jewel of the Canadian Triple Crown, the $400,000 Breeders’ Stakes over 1 1/2 miles on turf at Woodbine on Aug. 20. Ross said he would like to see how Cool Catomine trains on turf before making his decision.

“My concern is he just had a great race on dirt, and sometimes a caution light comes on when you’re doing good and you have to switch courses when you’re doing good,” he said. “I have to be careful about my decision here. The last thing I want to do when we’re doing good now is to switch courses, [have] him not like it, and go backwards. We know synthetic he [was okay] on. We know he likes dirt. We just have to see if he likes turf.”