Stakes winner Silver Is Best set for Woodstock assignment
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TORONTO, April 23, 2026 – Five contenders, including Silver Is Best, will contest the $125,000 Woodstock Stakes, Sunday at Woodbine.
The six-furlong Woodstock, for 3-year-olds, has traditionally been an important fixture in the lead-up to The King’s Plate, the first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown series, set for August 15 at Woodbine.
Trained by Bill Tharrenos for Mike Coll, Silver Is Best had a highly productive 2-year-old campaign, highlighted by a 2 ¼-length triumph in the Bull Page Stakes on September 14.
It was the first stakes success for the son of Signature Red out of the Scat Daddy mare Scatter the Silver, who was runner-up, a head back of the winner, in the Frost King next time out on October 19.
“I was very happy with the year he had,” said Tharrenos, who reached the $1 million (US) mark in purse earnings for the third time in the past four years. “That win in the Bull Page was just a good feeling for all of us. He ran a heck of a race. He got the lead and then just dug in from there.”
Silver Is Best debuted with a third at 4 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine main track on June 15. One race later, the bay broke his maiden courtesy of a 5 ¼-length romp at 5 furlongs.
“We liked him from the start,” said Tharrenos. “He had a good start to the races and then went out and came up with a really strong effort to get that first win.”
After a sixth in the 6 ½-furlong Simcoe Stakes in August, Silver Is Best struck gold in the Bull Page.
The gelding completed his rookie season with an eighth in the 6-furlong Clarendon Stakes that saw him bobble at the start.
Overall, Silver Is Best posted a 2-1-1 mark from 6 starts, along with $94,143 in purse earnings.
“He was over-the-top in his last two starts, but that’s okay and not unexpected,” said Tharrenos. “He did a little more than what the usually baby does.”
Silver Is Best spent the winter in Ontario.
“He’s matured, bulked up a little bit and got a little thicker in the shoulder, which will give him a little more power,” said Tharrenos, who has 425 career wins, including eight stakes. “All of that is something I really like to see. He’s really matured. Athletic-wise, he’s gotten stronger and more powerful.
“Are we tackling tougher horses here? Yes. I want to get this race under his belt as we look to the Ontario-sired races down the road. Right now, I am not scared to run him here because of what he is showing in the morning.”
Bred by Howie Walton, Silver Is Best was a $23,000 (CDN) purchase at the 2024 Canadian Premier Yearling Sale.
Carlington White is the groom.
Recent works: Silver Is Best has posted five main track works since March 21. His two most recent moves were a 4-furlong bullet in :47.60 on April 11 and 5 furlongs in 1:00.80 on April 18.
“The ability this guy shows in the morning is something that (jockey) David Moran has also noticed, especially in those last two works. That is the maturity I talked about. He is stronger, his action and his stride have all come together. He puts it all together just the way you want. His second-last work, he started about three or four lengths off the horse he was working with. By the time he reached the quarter pole, he was already three in front of the other horse. He did it very comfortably.
“His last work, his workmate was his stablemate Big Bold and First, who is a speedy horse himself. I put father and son working the horses together. So, David Moran was on Silver Is Best and Pietro Moran was on Big Bold and First. I told them not to hold them back, so we could see what we have. The surface wasn’t fast that day, but they hooked up and went head-and head. They galloped out in 1:14. I was pleased with both horses.”
Wagering menu for the Woodstock: Includes Rolling Double, Exacta, 0.20 Trifecta, 0.20 Superfecta, $1 Swinger.
Fast facts: Curtolima won the inaugural running in 1885. Lyford Cay won the 1957 Woodstock and took that year’s Queen’s Plate (98th running) by 11 ½ lengths.
Need to know: Post time on Sunday is 1:20 p.m. Fans can wager on all the action with HPIbet.com.
Field for the $125,000 Woodstock
Post – Horse – Jockey – Trainer
1 – Gnome – Sofia Vives – Kelsey Danner
2 – Arbiter – Pietro Moran – Wesley Ward
3 – Silver Is Best – David Moran – Bill Tharrenos
4 – El Capo (S) – Ryan Munger – Preston Ferris
5 – Two Out Hero – Rafael Hernandez – Kevin Attard
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Chris Lomon, Woodbine
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