Americium streaks into Treasure Chest

Americium has turned out to be more than M and M Racing and trainer Karl Broberg could have hoped for since being claimed for $30,000 in June. She’s won all three of her starts for her new connections, including a stakes, and on Friday night looks like the one to beat in the $75,000 Treasure Chest at Delta Downs.

“Any time you claim a horse and are fortunate to win a stakes with them and be the favorite for another stakes, they’ve exceeded your expectations,” Broberg said.

The Treasure Chest is a onemile race for fillies and mares that drew seven, including stakes winners Babybluesbdancing, Testing One Two, and Mr. Al’s Gal. The latter was entered in a Thursday overnight stakes at Fair Grounds, while Sure Thing Sheila, a winner of her last three starts, was to scratch from the Treasure Chest for a Wednesday race at Remington Park, Broberg said.

The card Friday at Delta also includes the $100,000 Jewel, a one-mile race for 2-year-old fillies bred in Louisiana.

Americium has won her last six races. On the night she was claimed June 1 at Lone Star Park, she finished second, a neck behind a winner who was later disqualified for interference. In her first start for her new connections, she won an optional $35,000 claiming route on the grass June 23 at Lone Star. She then captured the $50,000 Opelousas, another turf route, on July 6 at Evangeline Downs.

“The one thing from the beginning we always felt was that she was probably better on the dirt,” Broberg said. “It’s just those opportunities never presented themselves.”

Until last month. That’s when a starter allowance open to horses who had raced at a variety of claiming levels became available at Delta. Americium rolled by 10 lengths in the 7 1/2-furlong race Oct. 19, and the Beyer Speed Figure of 91 that she earned is both a career high and the best lastrace number in the Treasure Chest.

Timothy Thornton was aboard for the front-running win and has the mount again from post 7.

Americium could get an ideal trip behind Inspeightof, a winner of three sprint races in her last three starts who breaks from post 2.

Testing One Two puts a perfect Delta record on the line, as she is 3 for 3 in Vinton, La.

Silvercents moves back into Louisiana-bred company for the Jewel, and the last time she ran against such foes, she won the $60,000 Louisiana Cup Juvenile Fillies on Aug. 4 at Louisiana Downs. The race came over six furlongs, and she rallied for a three-quarterlength win, her second career victory after a maiden special weight win in July at Lone Star Park.

Silvercents is moving back to two turns Friday, and in her lone start at the configuration, she was second by three-quarters of a length in the $75,000 La Senorita, a one-mile race originally scheduled for turf Sept. 4 at Retama Park. Sasha Risenhoover retains the mount for Johnny Evans and co-owner and trainer Terry Eoff.