Believe You Can wires Silverbulletday

by Jennifer Caldwell

Brereton C. Jones' homebred Believe You Can suffered a slight setback when a

tiring sixth in the Grade 2 Pocahontas Stakes on October 30 at Churchill Downs,

but got back on the winning track Saturday while making her sophomore bow in the

$120,000

Silverbulletday Stakes on Fair Grounds' Road to the Derby Kickoff Day.

The race lost some of its luster when unbeaten likely favorite

Applauding was scratched Saturday morning after developing a mild case of colic

overnight.

"I would say she just had a slight tummy ache when I got here this morning,"

trainer Al Stall Jr. said shortly after training hours on Saturday. "She

responded to treatment immediately. She'll be fine."

Believe You Can took full advantage of her rival's absence, heading

straight to the front under jockey Rosie Napravnik. The dark bay lass ran wide

around the first turn before settling just off the rail on the backstretch

through splits of :23 4/5, :47 4/5 and 1:12 4/5.

Believe You Can continued motoring into the lane, easily defeating Summer

Applause by 1 1/2 lengths on the wire. The three-year-old daughter of Proud

Citizen stopped the clock in 1:42 1/5 for a mile and 70 yards on the fast main

track.

While the sophomore stakes -- Grade 3 Lecomte Stakes and Silverbulletday

Stakes -- took center stage at Fair Grounds on Saturday, three other black-type

contests shared the spotlight.

The stakes action got underway in the $72,000

F. W.

Gaudin Memorial Stakes, which turned into a repeat of the November 24

Thanksgiving Handicap with Brittlyn Stable Inc.'s Gantry just nosing out Cash

Refund.

The dark bay gelding tracked the early pace in third before swinging three

wide rounding the turn under jockey Richard Eramia. Gantry matched strides with

Cash Refund nearing the wire and got his nose in front on the line to finish the

six-furlong contest in 1:09 2/5.

Making just his second start for trainer Ron Faucheux, Gantry paid $6.40,

$3.20 and $2.20 as the 2-1 second choice. The Kentucky-bred son of Pulpit has faced stakes

competition three times now, taking this one and the Thanksgiving Handicap while

running fifth in the Grade 3 Jaipur Stakes last July. The five-year-old's career

mark stands at 10-5-0-2, $194,850.

Thiskyhasnolimit emulated Believe You Can later on the card with a

wire-to-wire victory in the $99,000

Louisiana Handicap under jockey Shane Sellers. Campaigned by Cathy

and Bob Zollars and Mark Wagner, the Steve Asmussen pupil was a length

clear of Fast Alex while finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:43 3/5.

Thiskyhasnolimit was worth $12.20, $6.40 and $3.80 at 5-1 while

making his Fair Grounds debut in this spot off a more than six-month

break.

The undercard stakes action wrapped up in a tragic edition of the

$75,000

Pan Zareta Stakes, which saw Grade 3 winner Rapport break down and

Gran Lioness ease after bumping into that injured rival, clipping heels

and nearly unseating her rider.

Rapport had to be put down immediately

after the race.

Through all this, Peter E. Blum Thoroughbreds LLC's 15-1 shot Inspired

maintained her advantage on the lead to win by 1 1/2 lengths with John Velazquez

in the pilot's seat. Conditioned by Allen Iwinski, the chestnut daughter of

Unbridled's Song gave back $32.80, $10.20 and $8.60 when posting a final time of

1:03 2/5 for about 5 1/2 furlongs on the good turf.