by Jeff Renton, media/communications, the Woodbine Entertainment Group
Toronto, ON — With Silent Swing and Surrounded, conditioner Jack Darling is taking his best shot in this Saturday’s C$244,131 Canadian Breeders Championship two-year-old pacing colt division (race nine, 10:28 p.m.) at Woodbine. A Northern Luck–Simplistic gelding, Silent Swing (post seven, Randy Waples, 7-1) scored by a half length in 1:53.2 during last Saturday’s C$20,000 two-year-old Open, but unless you were actually on the track you would’ve never known it. In an evening plagued by thick fog, only the vicinity of the wire offered any proof a race had occurred.
“Randy (driver Randy Waples) said that he sat either fifth or sixth with him and then pulled first-over,” said Darling. “Three-quarters of the way through the lane (Waples) said he pulled the plugs on him and he said that he accelerated and won kind of handy.”
On November 13, during his C$300,000 Ontario Sires Stakes Super Final, Silent Swing also went a big trip. Leaving from post position three, he was eighth at the opening quarter and raced on the outside the rest of the way. Seventh, 11 and a half lengths back at the three-quarters, Silent Swing came calling late and finished just one and three-quarter lengths back in second to Isle Of Patmos after a :26.4 final panel.
Silent Swing has put together a solid campaign this season, earning a resume of 2-3-3 and $137,828 in purses from 13 starts for Darling (who also co-owns) and London’s Dan Smith.
“He showed a lot of promise early in the year and then we had some problems with him steering and acting erratic. After that he finished third in a (O.S.S.) Gold Final at Flamboro (on August 22) and I brought him home and I gelded him. Then he had about two months off,” explained Darling. “Before I gelded him he was just so excitable in the paddock and would take half of the race out of himself beforehand. We just wanted to calm him down and it seems to have worked. He’s matured mentally and he has always had the talent, so hopefully he can put it all together now.”
Silent Swing will leave on Saturday with Isle Of Patmos to his right, as the Mark Capone student -– who is 3-5 in the morning line -– has drawn post position eight and again has Luc Ouellette to drive.
“Obviously he is the horse to beat,” Darling said of Isle Of Patmos. “It would be nice to stay within striking distance of him because I’m sure that he’ll go to the front. I’d just like to be close enough (to Isle Of Patmos) at the head of the stretch so we could have a shot at him anyway.”
Surrounded, a Northern Luck–She Cantsay No gelding, will leave to the left of his stablemate with driver Rick Zeron from the six hole.
“He’s very green. He’s actually just a little bit inexperienced to be in this race, but I gave him a shot because he’s showing a lot of talent,” Darling said about Surrounded, who is a homebred of his and Dan Smith. “He made a break in his last start and he’s is a little bit of an unknown quantity right now. We’re just hoping that he throws in a good effort and can get a cheque.”
Listed at 20-1 in the morning line, Surrounded has a 2-1-0 record, $10,820 in earnings and a mark of 1:54.3 (taken on November 1 at Woodbine) after six starts.
“The fact that Isle Of Patmos drew outside will make it a good race,” said Darling. “I think it will be a wide open race and I am hoping that they do a little bit of racing up front and we can get some kind of a trip out of it.”