by TERESA GENARO
On the first day of the 2017 Fasig-Tipton New York bred yearling sale, a New York-bred filly swept to an easy graded stakes win when Pure Silver won the Adirondack (G2) by 9 1/2 lengths as the 17-10 favorite.
Trained by Todd Pletcher and owned by Twin Creeks Racing Stable, Pure Silver tussled briefly with longshot Di Maria heading up the backstretch. Making the lead, she was dogged by Limited View coming around the final turn of the 6 1/2-furlong race, but at the top of the stretch, she opened daylight on the field under mild urging from John Velazquez.
Undefeated in two previous starts, Pure Silver was making her first start in an open company and graded stakes race.
“She’s a classy, classy filly,” said Twin Creeks’ Randy Gullatt. “We’re always nervous before a big race, but she’s so classy and she’s done everything right her whole life. We knew she’d be profession; we were just hoping she’d be up to the task.”
Pure Silver is a gray/roan two-year-old by Mission Impazible, campaigned by Twin Creeks to wins in the Louisiana Derby (G2) and New Orleans H. (G2). Out of the Forest Wildcat mare Jehan, she was bred by Twin Creeks Farm in New York and purchased by Twin Creeks Racing Stables for $125,000 at this year’s OBS March sale. She is Mission Impazible’s first graded stakes winner.
Mission Impazible stands at Sequel Stallions in Hudson, New York.
“He’s one of our all-time favorites,” Gullatt said. “We believed in the horse and we’ve gone all out to support him.”
Of the decision to stand Mission Impazible in New York, Gullatt said, “The program is so good, and we thought, ‘If we’re going to support the horse, let’s take advantage of it.'”
Gullatt’s partner Steve Davison noted that Twin Creeks has two yearlings selling this weekend across the street at Fasig-Tipton, one of them by Mission Impazible. They also have a full brother to Pure Silver.
The two have come a long way from their childhood hijinks in Louisiana, when as teenagers they used to sneak into Louisiana Downs.
“They were so good,” said Davison, “about checking IDs at the gate.”
Having raced three times since June 22, Pure Silver may be due for a freshener, Davison said, unsure of whether they’ll come back in a few weeks to run in the Spinaway (G1) at Saratoga on Labor Day weekend.
“We’re not really looking past this one,” Davison said.
Added Gullatt, “This is really special.”
