Ah Day, Silmaril star at Laurel

At Laurel Park on Saturday, redoubtable Maryland-bred campaigners AH DAY

(Malibu Moon) and SILMARIL (Diamond) captured their respective preps for graded

events on Presidents' Day weekend. Ah Day rolled to a 3 3/4-length score in the

$74,400

Fire Plug S., his stepping stone to the February 19 General George Breeders'

Cup H. (G2), while Silmaril claimed the $96,400

What a

Summer S. en route to an engagement in the February 17 Barbara Fritchie

Breeders' Cup H. (G2).

In the Fire Plug, The Jim Stable's Ah Day settled well off the early pace,

which was contested by 7-5 favorite Crafty Schemer (Crafty Prospector) and Kazoo

(Tabasco Cat) through splits of :22 and :45 2/5. Crafty Schemer shook off his

pace rival and opened up by 1 1/2 lengths in midstretch, but Ah Day was

gathering momentum along the rail. With Mario Pino in the irons, Ah Day

delivered a lethal closing kick to draw clear, finishing six furlongs on the

fast track in 1:10 1/5. The King Leatherbury trainee returned $9.40, $3.60 and

$3.60 as the 7-2 third choice in the eight-horse field.

"What a move he made at the three-eighths pole," Pino said. "It was an

awesome performance. This horse is a warrior. He jumped up another level the way

he was running the last five-sixteenths."

"That might be the best race of his life," Leatherbury said. "The horse that

ran second (Crafty Schemer) is a super horse. This is beyond my expectations. I

figured he would end up second or third at the worst, but he just exploded."

Crafty Schemer took runner-up honors in the Fire Plug for the second straight

year, paying $3.20 and $2.80 while completing the $28 exacta. It was another 1

1/2 lengths back to 92-1 longshot Gold Cluster (Formal Gold), who got up for

third to provide $11.20. The trifecta was worth $617.60, while the 1-8-4-5

superfecta ($1) totaled $992.10 with 9-2 Celtic Innis (Yarrow Brae) in fourth.

City Weekend (Carson City), defending champion Abbondanza (Alphabet Soup),

Country Moggie (Cat Country) and Kazoo rounded out the order of finish.

A four-year-old bay gelding, Ah Day was rebounding from an

uncharacteristically poor performance in the November 18 Northern Dancer S.,

when he was eased and finished last of five. The Fire Plug was his seventh

career stakes win, advancing his record to 18-9-4-1 with $519,160 in earnings.

All of his previous stakes tallies came last year as a sophomore, most notably

the Federico Tesio S. He has also placed in four stakes, chief among them the

Leonard Richards S. (G3). Bred by K. T. Leatherbury Assoc. Inc., Ah Day is out of

Endette (Thirty Eight Paces), who is also the dam of 2006 Maryland Million

Classic S. winner Due (Rinka Das).

In the What a Summer, 1-2 favorite Silmaril likewise rated near the rear

of the five-horse field as La Chica Rica (Disco Rico) posted fractions of :22

3/5 and :46 2/5. Silmaril then commenced her rally beneath Ryan Fogelsonger,

splitting foes in the stretch and driving to a three-length decision in a final

time of 1:11 for six furlongs. Conditioned by Christopher Grove for

owner/breeders Stephen Quick and Christopher Feifarek, the winner paid $3, $2.20

and $2.10.

The nearly 5-1 Scheing E Jet (Unbridled Jet) came next, giving back $3.40 and

$2.40, while La Chica Rica crossed the line another 1 3/4 lengths adrift in

third to return $2.60 at nearly 6-1. The exotics yielded $8.40 (exacta) and

$20.60 (5-4-3 trifecta). Sonotas Secret (Secret Hello) reported home fourth,

followed by Ring True (Is It True). Yolanda B. Too (Two Punch) was scratched.

The dark bay winner was produced by the winning Spend a Buck mare Kattebuck.

Her second dam is Grade 3 queen Kattegat's Pride (North Sea), who claims the

1982 What a Summer among her 10 stakes scores.

Silmaril's eighth stakes tally boosted her bankroll to $639,153 from a

26-12-3-3 line. Her biggest victory came in the 2005 Pimlico Breeders' Cup

Distaff H. (G3), when she famously upended two-time champion Ashado in the slop. Silmaril's five stakes-placed efforts include a third in the 2005 Barbara

Fritchie.

"I don't think I've felt her this well in a long time," regular rider

Fogelsonger said of the six-year-old mare.

"I think when she beat Ashado, that's the best she's ever been, but right now

she's good and she's consistent, whereas before she was kind of back and forth a

little bit," Grove agreed. "I would love to try a Grade 1 if she were to win the

Barbara Fritchie."