Firecracker winner Silver Max, third-placer Guys Reward doing well

Silver Max could try to defend his title in the Oceanport or head to Saratoga for a clash with Wise Dan (Churchill Downs/Reed Palmer Photography)

After finishing first with Silver Max and third with Guys Reward in Saturday’s
Grade 2 Firecracker at Churchill Downs, trainer Dale Romans said that both horses exited the
race in good order.

“They both came out great,” Romans said. “It was a good comeback race for
Silver Max and we were very pleased with both of their efforts.”

Silver Max was making his five-year-old bow in the one-mile contest. The
Badge of Silver horse closed out 2013 with a fourth-place in the Breeders’ Cup
Mile behind Horse of the Year Wise Dan, whom he beat just one race earlier when
taking the Shadwell Turf Mile once it had been moved from the grass to
Keeneland’s synthetic Polytrack and run at 1 1/16 miles.

Guys Reward was making his fifth start of the year in the Firecracker, having
captured the Grade 3 Tampa Bay Stakes to open his seven-year-old campaign before
running off-the-board in his next three against graded rivals. The dark bay son
of Grand Reward competed just twice in 2013.

Romans has now won the Firecracker a record four times, taking
the race with Guy’s Reward (2012), Thorn Song (2008) and Kitten’s Joy (2005).

The horseman was unsure where his two charges would make
their next starts but mentioned both the Grade 2, $500,000 Fourstardave Handicap
on August 9 at Saratoga and Grade 3, $150,000 Oceanport at Monmouth on July 27 as possibilities.