Sound And Silence likes turf, fast pace

DEL MAR, Calif. – Sound And Silence was a minor stakes winner at Royal Ascot in June and a Group 3 stakes winner in France in September. He was beaten a neck in a five-furlong stakes on turf Oct. 13 at Newmarket, England.

Those performances give Sound And Silence excellent credentials to win Saturday’s $200,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint at five furlongs on the undercard of the Breeders’ Cup program at Del Mar.

The race has a full field of 12, with four on the also-eligible list, and will be run on firm turf at a fast pace that will suit Sound And Silence, trainer Charlie Appleby said Thursday morning.

“I think that’s what he’s crying out for,” Appleby said. “They will go hard and fast, and that will give him something to aim at. He’ll come late.”

Sound And Silence is one of seven runners, including Elizabeth Darcy and McErin, who made their last starts in Europe. They are trained in Kentucky by Wesley Ward.

Ward said, “We’re kind of taking a shot” with Elizabeth Darcy, who was seventh in a minor stakes at York, England, in August. McErin, who will race as a gelding for the first time Saturday, was seventh as the 13-2 favorite in the Group 2 Norfolk Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Ward starts Fairyland, who was second to March X Press in the Bolton Landing Stakes at five furlongs on turf Aug. 16 at Saratoga.

“Fairyland is very talented,” Ward said.

March X Press, trained by Todd Pletcher, drew post 10 for the Juvenile Turf Sprint. She was fourth in the Group 1 Natalma Stakes at a mile on turf Sept. 17 at Woodbine. By Shanghai Bobby, March X Press is one of five fillies in the race, along with Elizabeth Darcy, Fairyland, Out of the Flames, and Treasuring.

Firm turf could benefit Treasuring, who won the Group 3 Curragh Stakes on yielding turf at The Curragh in August, but was ninth in the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes on Sept. 30 at Newmarket.

Count Alexander, a fast-closing second in the Zuma Beach Stakes on Oct. 9 at Santa Anita, is the most attractive runner among the locally based horses.

Golden State Juvenile

Bookies Luck, winner of the I’m Smokin Stakes here in September, is the lone stakes winner in Saturday’s $200,000 Golden State Juvenile for statebreds at seven furlongs.

Trained by Jeff Bonde, Bookies Luck is expected to be prominent from the start under jockey Kent Desormeaux. Bookies Luck must hold off Night At the Opera and Smokem.

Night At the Opera, who runs from off the pace, was second in the I’m Smokin Stakes at six furlongs Sept. 1 and second by a head in the Barretts Juvenile at 6 1/2 furlongs Sept. 23 at Los Alamitos.

Night At the Opera was second in the Oak Tree Juvenile on Sept. 30 at Pleasanton in his stakes debut. Trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, Night At the Opera should race just behind the pace.