Bret Calhoun hopes to collect his second straight victory in Churchill Downs's GIII Eight Belles S. Friday with the undefeated Promise Me Silver (Silver City). The conditioner captured last year's renewal of this seven-furlong test with fellow Texas-bred Fiftyshadesofgold (My Golden Song). A perfect seven-for-seven, including a victory in this venue's Debutante S. last summer, Promise Me Silver kicked off this season with a win in Oaklawn's Dixie Belle S. Jan. 15. A 9 3/4-length winner back in against state-breds in Sam Houston's Two Altazano S. Feb. 14, the Robert Luttrell homebred captured Oaklawn's Instant Racing S. last time Apr. 11, and faces the toughest field yet in this step up in class.
Hall of Famer Bob Baffert holds a strong hand in this loaded renewal in the form of morning-line favorite Callback (Street Sense) and 'TDN Rising Star' Enchanting Lady (Tale of the Cat). A second out winner at Los Alamitos Dec. 4, Callback finished second in the GII Santa Ynez S. in Arcadia Jan. 3 and wired the field next out in that venue's one-mile GI Las Virgenes S. Jan. 31. The Spendthrift Farm colorbearer was a neck winner over stablemate Maybellene (Lookin at Lucky) and Scat Means Go (Scat Daddy) last time out in the Mar. 22 Sunland Park Oaks, but was disqualified and placed fourth for ducking and bothering Fancy and Flashy (Zensational) in the stretch. Kaleem Shah's Enchanting Lady earned her diploma at second asking in Arcadia's Landaluce S. last June before being benched for eight months. Returning with a fifth behind GI Kentucky Oaks favorite Stellar Wind (Curlin) in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Feb. 28, the dark bay returned to her winning ways in the Santa Paula S. at Santa Anita Apr. 5.
The Albaugh Family Stable's 'TDN Rising Star' Taylor S (Medaglia d'Oro) takes another crack at graded stakes company for trainer Dale Romans. A dominant optional claimer winner going six furlongs over this strip Nov. 29, the speedy dark bay finished third to GI Kentucky Oaks contender Birdatthewire (Summer Bird) in Gulfstream's GII Forward Gal S. Jan. 24. She was last seen burning up the track with a wire-to-wire victory over a field of overmatched foes in Gulfstream's six-panel Any Limit S. Mar. 14.
Previously trained by Billy Kaplan, Ekati's Phaeton (Tale of Ekati) makes her first start for Hall of Famer Bill Mott in this spot. Winner of Hallandale's GIII Old Hat S., the Phaedrus Flights LLC colorbearer finished fourth in the Forward Gal, but got the better of Birdatthewire next out with a gritty neck victory over that foe in the one-mile GII Davona Dale S. A well beaten seventh behind Birdatthewire last time in the 1 1/16-mile GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28, the dark bay should appreciate the turn back to her preferred sprint distance here, and the presence of Hall of Famer John Velazquez is another plus.
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