Silver Max stuns Wise Dan in off-the-turf Shadwell

Heavy rain late Saturday afternoon caused the

Shadwell

Turf Mile to be transferred to Keeneland's Polytrack, setting the stage for

an even bigger plot twist: Horse of the Year Wise Dan's nine-race winning streak

was snapped by the front-running Silver Max, who repelled the 1-2 favorite by 1

1/4 lengths.

Because of the change in conditions from a turf mile to a 1 1/16-mile affair

on Polytrack, the $750,000 race no longer served as a "Win & You're In" for the

Breeders' Cup Mile. The Shadwell was also automatically downgraded to a Grade 2,

pending review by the American Graded Stakes Committee, but there was not a

single scratch from the original 10-horse field.

The Dale Romans-trained Silver Max was sent off as the 7-1 second choice in

his first start on synthetic. Only ninth to Wise Dan in last year's Shadwell

Turf Mile at the tail end of a busy sophomore campaign, the Badge of Silver colt

was entering in sharper form this time, having wired the July 28 Oceanport at

Monmouth and the August 31 Bernard Baruch Handicap at Saratoga in his last pair.

Under regular rider Robby Albarado, Silver Max took over through an opening

quarter in :23 3/5 and inched a length clear of Hogy at the half in :46 3/5.

Wise Dan, meanwhile, was having a tougher trip from the far outside post 10.

Bumped and floated out wide swinging into the clubhouse turn, the triple Eclipse

Award winner and defending Shadwell champion dragged his way forward down the

backstretch.

Connections of the beaten favorite commented on Wise Dan's surprising loss, his

first since his near-miss in the Stephen Foster on the Churchill Downs dirt on

June 16, 2012.

"He ran a good race -- he just didn't run his 'A' game today," jockey John

Velazquez said. "It's really wet and it seemed like he was tiring from it today.

He couldn't seem to get his (footing). After that he kept trying.

"At the three-eighths pole, I thought I was going to be in control, that

(running down Silver Max) was going to be easy, but when I went after him, he

(Silver Max) started running again. It was only a matter of time whether (Wise

Dan) would handle the track. He handled the track OK, but the track is different

today -- a lot of water. He had to work harder. Other than that he kept trying

and ran hard."

Trainer Charles LoPresti was asked whether the change in conditions played a

role in the upset.

"No, because he broke the track record here going a mile and an eighth," the

trainer said, alluding to the 2012 Ben Ali. "Maybe with the water on it, it was

more sticky. That's what it looks like to me, but I am not going to make any

excuses. He ran a great race; he really did.

Next came a convincing 5 1/2-length triumph in Keeneland's Transylvania

Stakes; a 2 3/4-length tour-de-force performance in the American Turf at

Churchill Downs; a facile two-length win in the Arlington Classic; a 6

3/4-length, course record-setting performance in the Oliver Stakes, completing a

mile over Indiana Downs' turf in 1:33.88; and a one-length decision in the

Virginia Derby. Silver Max's skein ended in the Secretariat at Arlington, as he

gave way in the stretch to finish fifth, prior to his disappointing ninth in the

Shadwell.

His 2013 campaign likewise began with a pair of subpar efforts -- a fifth in

the March 30 Appleton at Gulfstream Park and a fourth to Wise Dan in the

Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Kentucky Derby Day.

Silver Max regained his old sparkle in the off-the-turf Opening Verse back at

Churchill Downs on June 1, running away by 9 1/2 lengths over a sloppy track. He

stayed on dirt for the June 29 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap, but faded to

third. Silver Max rebounded with a vengeance when reverting to turf in the

Oceanport, where he romped by 5 3/4 lengths, and followed up with a two-length

decision in the Bernard Baruch.

Romans commented on the difference from this time a year ago.