Promise Me Silver stays perfect in Eight Belles

Promise Me Silver gives Calhoun second straight Eight Belles (Jim Tyrrell/Horsephotos.com) Last year, trainer Bret Calhoun saddled a Texas-bred filly named Fiftyshadesofgold (My Golden Song) to victory in the Eight Belles S. (G3) on the Kentucky Oaks undercard. On Friday, Calhoun visited the $200,000 Eight Belles winner’s circle with another Texas-bred lass, this time Promise Me Silver (Silver City), who ran her career line to a perfect eight-for-eight when taking her graded debut by 1 1/4 lengths. The Robert G. Luttrell homebred took up a tracking position behind the dueling Ekati’s Phaeton (Tale of Ekati) and Super Saks (Sky Mesa) as those two duked it out through quick splits of :22 1/5 and :44 3/5. The swift pace took its toll on Ekati’s Phaeton, who began backing up just as Promise Me Silver and jockey Robby Albarado ranged up to Super Saks’ outside rounding the turn. Callback (Street Sense) joined the pair and was carried wide along with Promise Me Silver when Super Saks came way out entering the stretch. That didn’t stop Promise Me Silver from moving to the fore and gaining command while edging clear. Scat Means Go (Scat Daddy) came with a game rally in the lane, but no one was catching the gray filly on the lead, who finished seven furlongs in 1:22 4/5 on Churchill Downs’ fast main track.

“I knew I had horse (around the far turn) and I knew I had a nice quality
bunch behind me but when I called on her she showed me why she’s
seven-for-seven,” Albarado said. “She’s an exceptional filly, she’s kind to be
around and she’s very nice. I think she’s won at like six or seven different
racetracks and that’s special in and of itself. Today was a big test for her and
now she’ll go on to some bigger things, I’m sure.”

Sent off the 5-1 fourth choice, Promise Me Silver returned $12.60 for the
win.

“She’s a special filly,” Calhoun said. “I can see why she was overlooked (at
odds of 5-1). She had never beaten this caliber of fillies before, but we always
knew she could. We will start making plans for that race (the $750,000 Acorn
[G1] going a mile) on Belmont Day (June 6).”

Callback held second by a head over 39-1 pick Scat Means Go, while 40-1
shot Mizz Money (Mizzen Mast) got up to complete the superfecta.

“My filly ran a big race but that one (Promise Me Silver) is really good,”
said Callback’s rider, Victor Espinoza. “I thought coming out of the turn that I
had a good chance to catch her but she kept going.”

Promise Me Silver added a seventh stakes win to her resume by taking the
Eight Belles. She began her career with a 6 3/4-length maiden victory at Lone
Star Park and proceeded to take the Debutante S. at Churchill, Darby’s Daughter
division of the Texas Stallion S. series at Retama Park and Letellier Memorial
S. at Fair Grounds as a juvenile.

The well-traveled lass opened her sophomore season with her closest finish to
date, gutting out a neck score in the Dixie Belle S. at Oaklawn Park, then
returned to Texas for an 9 3/4-length romp in the Two Altazano S. at Sam
Houston. She visited Oaklawn again last out to triumph in the Instant Racing S.
and has now banked $435,915 lifetime.

Promise Me Silver is the second registered foal, and first stakes scorer, out
of the winning Uno Mas Promesa (Macho Uno). Her female family also includes
Grade 1 winner Try Something New (Hail the Pirates), German champion
Somethingdifferent (Green Forest).

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