Maryland Thoroughbred

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Silmaril Upsets Favorite In Pimlico Distaff Breeders' Cup
BALTIMORE, Md. 5-20-05---Stephen E. Quick & Christopher J. Feifarek?s Silmaril (Diamond - Kattebuck by Spend A Buck) won one for the hometown crowd as she ran down the 1-5 favorite Ashado in deep stretch to win the $150,000 Grade III Pimlico Distaff Breeders? Cup for fillies and mares at 1-1/16 miles on the main track.
Trained by Bowie-based Chris Grove and ridden by jockey Ryan Fogelsonger, Silmaril spent most of the trip tracking the favorite while racing down on the rail. Fogelsonger kept Ashado within striking distance all the way to the top of the lane, then angled out to mid-track and caught her with just six jumps to go to the wire to win by three-quarters of a length. Fogelsonger confidently waved his whip with a victory salute before they crossed under the finish line in 1:44.87 over the sloppy going.
With the victory, Silmaril was scoring her third stakes win of the year. She won the Nellie Morse at Laurel Park and the Northview Stallion Stakes here last month. She paid $17.20. The presence of Ashado resulted in five late scratches from the race this morning.
CHRISTOPHER GROVE (Trainer of winner, Silmaril) ? ?It was an outstanding performance. I knew she loved the slop. It was her first graded win. When I worked her last week Ryan (jockey Fogelsonger) said ?We?re ready for Ashado.? I said, ?Ashado who???
RYAN FOGELSONGER (Jockey of winner, Silmaril) ? ?I?m very excited. We just beat a Breeders? Cup champ. There was absolutely no pace in the race. I was sitting down the backside just getting tugged along. As Ashado began to pull away we came digging with every stride. Nobody was gonna get by me.?
TODD PLETCHER (Trainer of Ashado, 2nd as 1-5 favorite) ? ?Obviously I was concerned with the condition of the track. It was similar to the way it was the day she ran in the Alabama. It rained all morning and it was drying out as the day went along. You can tell by the times of the races it?s not a fast track today. It?s kind of a sticky, gooey surface, probably not her favorite. I thought despite that she ran a good race. I thought it was a much better race than she ran at Oaklawn.?
JOHN VELAZQUEZ (Jockey of Ashado, 2nd as1-5? favorite) ? ?Perfect trip. She just couldn?t handle the track.?
-mjc-