Silver State stays hot at Oaklawn

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. – Silver State emerged from his win in the Grade 2, $1 million Oaklawn Handicap in fine fashion, trainer Steve Asmussen said Sunday, as his connections are now tasked with determining the next move for the horse who has won his last five races.

Silver State went over $1 million earnings in the Oaklawn Handicap, for which he earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 101.

“He came out of the race great,” Asmussen said Sunday. “Obviously, we’re extremely proud of how he ran yesterday and the winning streak that he has put together.

“He’ll go to Churchill Downs and train there before we decide where to run next.”

The Oaklawn Handicap was the biggest career win for Silver State, a son of Hard Spun who races for Winchell Thoroughbreds and Willis Horton. The horse, who last year was third in a division of the Grade 2 Risen Star at Fair Grounds, won at 1 1/8 miles for the first time Saturday.

Silver State began his streak last fall in Kentucky, where he won two allowance sprints. He made his 4-year-old debut in the Fifth Season in January at Oaklawn, and after winning that race won the track’s $500,000 Essex in March and the Oaklawn Handicap.

Silver State’s streak includes three of the four races in Oaklawn’s route series for older horses, with the other race, the Razorback, having been won by Mystic Guide.

Asmussen said Silver State’s development has been made possible by the patience of his owners. The horse is now 6 for 10.

“We’ve always loved his talent,” he said. “They gave him plenty of time, and now he’s rewarding them for their patience.”

Ricardo Santana Jr. has ridden Silver State in all of his races. The rider and Asmussen teamed to win four of the eight major stakes making up this meet’s $4.9 million Racing Festival of the South, which ended Saturday with the card that included the Oaklawn Handicap. Earlier in the festival, the two won the Grade 1, $1 million Arkansas Derby with Super Stock; the Grade 3, $600,000 Fantasy with Pauline’s Pearl; and the $200,000 Purple Martin with Abrogate.

Oaklawn handled $13.2 million on it’s 12-race card Saturday. The estimated ontrack attendance was 8,000.

Cave Run in 36-way shake

There were 36 claims in for Cave Run on Saturday, according to the stewards at Oaklawn. The horse closed for fourth in the seventh race, a $20,000 claiming sprint. He was claimed for the eighth time in his last 12 starts.

Charles Jennings is the new owner of Cave Run, a 5-yearold gelding by Street Sense. The new trainer is Kenny Smith.

The 36-way shake is a record for the current meet. Pat Pope, the longtime racing secretary at Oaklawn, said Saturday that he could not recall a higher number of people in for a horse through the years. He said at one point, there was a 31- or 32-way shake for a horse at Oaklawn.

There have been 431 claims at the current meet, for $7,595,000 in transactions among stables through Saturday, according to statistics provided by Oaklawn.