Pure Silver will need her best

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Pure Silver will be the horse to beat, but Miss Hot Stones looms a formidable foe in Saturday’s $150,000 Fifth Avenue division of the New York Stallion Series at Aqueduct. The Fifth Avenue, at six furlongs, is restricted to 2-year-old fillies sired by New York-based stallions.

Pure Silver, a daughter of Mission Impazible, won the first three starts of her career, including the Grade 2 Adirondack by 9 1/2 lengths this past summer at Saratoga. She has lost her last three races, two with legitimate excuses. However, in the Key Cents for New York-bred juvenile fillies she was simply second best behind I Still Miss You, stalking that front-runner and not making an impact in the stretch.

Pure Silver is one of just two multiple winners in this sixhorse field. Miss Hot Stones, a daughter of Bustin Stones, has only one win, but that came by 7 3/4 lengths here in her most recent start on Nov. 18. Prior to that, Miss Hot Stones had twice finished second in maiden races at Belmont Park.

“In her first two starts I thought she ran winning races both times, just ran into a better horse,” said Ollie Figgins III, who trains Miss Hot Stones for owner-breeder Roddy Valente. “I think the horse matured a little bit, too.”

Figgins shipped Miss Hot Stones from Laurel to Aqueduct in time to get a breeze over the track. Figgins said he felt another horse he shipped here, Stoney Bennett, who runs on Sunday, may have been compromised by shipping in the day of the race for last month’s Notebook Stakes, in which he finished second as the favorite.

“I thought he got a hair tired and I thought I had him pretty fit,” Figgins said.

Drawn in post 5 in the sixhorse field, Miss Hot Stones should be able to work out an outside stalking trip under Kendrick Carmouche.

The maiden Velvet Trinni and Beaux Arts have speed for Miss Hot Stones to stalk. Aunt Babe and Wegetsdamunnys complete the field.

The Fifth Avenue goes as race 8 on a nine-race card that begins at 12:20 p.m. Eastern.

KEY CONTENDERS

Miss Hot Stones, by Bustin Stones Last 3 Beyers: 75-78-63

◗ Beat 13 foes when winning a six-furlong maiden race over this track.

◗ Has two works since then, including a half-mile move over this track on Saturday.

◗ Though she loses John Velazquez, she picks up Kendrick Carmouche, who had two three-win days last week and entered this week just four wins shy of 3,000 for his career.

Pure Silver, by Mission Impazible Last 3 Beyers: 72-35-53

◗ The most accomplished runner in the field, having won two stakes, she had little excuse when second as the 8-5 favorite in the Key Cents Stakes last out.

◗ Chased the pace that day, could go back to her frontrunning style from post 2 on Saturday.

◗ Chris DeCarlo replaces Javier Castellano.