Silver Jo wins easily over elders

Bettors clearly thought Silver Jo the best horse in the field of modest claimers at Delaware Park on Wednesday, sending her off at 1/2 odds, and she didn't make 'em sweat for even a second.

Another owner and trainer thought she was worth the taking at a $7,500 price. Time will tell if they were right.

Silver Jo, a 3-year-old facing seven elders in the field of nine, bolted to a one-length lead immediately out of the gate, got away with pedestrian fractions of 24.11 and 49.08 under superb handling by Victor Lebron, rebuffed mild challenges on the turn for home, then slowly drew off in the stretch to win by 3 3/4 lengths over 4-year-old Government Bailout, a 12/1 shot running for a $5K tag among non-winners of two lifetime. Six-year-old Just Money, second-favored at a little more than 3/1, was third. Final time for the mile-seventy was 1:44.78, well off Distinct Vision's 2003 track record of 1:39.20, but Silver Jo was barely asked.

I tipped Silver Jo out of 2010's OBS April sale, where she went for a mere $12,000 to Midwest Thoroughbreds. Midwest lost her for $7,500 on Wednesday and were maybe a bit surprised, as despite her odds this time she only finished second to a long-shot as essentially the co-favorite at this same level her last time out, while going unclaimed from that April 30 race. Trainer Michael V. Simone dropped the claim ticket this time on behalf of Silver Jo's new owner, Raul Arriagada. Midwest Thoroughbreds have made out all right with Silver Jo, however, getting their pictures taken at Oaklawn Park earlier this year (at the MCL $15K level) and now at Delaware Park, and watching the filly earn her keep by banking $27,030.

I thought the dark bay filly by Silver Train-Bolsa, by Mr. Prospector was a good bet at the juvenile sale, despite her dam's winless 10 lifetime starts and modest produce record so far. At least Bolsa's four prior foals all were winners at some level, her son Bold Vindication has run 41 times and managed to earn nearly $94,000 while only winning twice (and overcoming his sire's four-race fragility), and Silver Jo's second dam was stakes-winning and G1-placed MOCHILA, dam of G1 winner SERAPE. Silver Jo (who was already named at sale-time) also drilled a credible 21 4/5 in the under-tack show.

So, $12,000 looked like a bargain at the time, and two win-photos later, I'd have to say it was. After all, people have been known to spend millions and not even come away with a winning $7,500 "plater," and just five races into her career Silver Jo could still move forward from here. We'll see how the barn change affects her.

Meanwhile, you can follow along with the career of Silver Jo and the remainder of my 187-horse juvenile Class of 2010 in the list at the bottom of this prior post.