Silver Prospector

9) SILVER PROSPECTOR (c, Declaration of War–Tap Softly, by Tapit) O-Ed & Susie Orr; B-Hargus & Sandra Sexton & Silver Fern Farm LLC (KY); T-Steve Asmussen. Sales History: $50,000 yrl '18 KEESEP; $190,000 2yo '19 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: MGSW 8-3-0-2, $713,051.
Last Start: 1st GIII Southwest S.
Accomplishments Include: 1st GII Kentucky Jockey Club S., CD, Nov. 30.
Next start: Possible for GII Rebel S., OP, Mar. 14
Equineline PPs. KY Derby Points: 21.

Considering he already has career eight starts under his belt (like Enforceable), Silver Prospector is a “throwback” horse in this current era of racing Derby candidates sparingly. In fact, he's already launching a bit of a 2020 comeback after throwing in a one-race clunker to start his season with a blah, against-the-bias fourth in the Smarty Jones S. Jan 24. On Monday, we saw a more highly honed version of this Declaration of War colt ($50,000 KEESEP; $190,000 OBSAPR). He saved ground and stalked while comfortably covered up at the rail in the GIII Southwest S., and jockey Ricardo Santana, Jr. had a handful of horse at the top of the lane when Silver Prospector bulled through and kicked for home. His Beyer rating came back a robust 97, and his 1:43.01 final clocking compares favorably to two other 1 1/16 miles stakes on the same Oaklawn card: Older fillies and mares went the same distance .64 seconds slower in the GIII Bayakoa S., and Silver Prospector's time was only one-hundredth of a second off the clocking for accomplished older males in the GIII Razorback S.

VIDEO PPS