Just Whistle Gets Up for Sunday Silence Stakes Win
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Photo: Coglianese Photos/Ryan Thompson
Just Whistle takes the Sunday Silence Stakes at Gulfstream Park
Helen Groves' homebred Just Whistle dug in for his first stakes victory in the $75,000 Sunday Silence Stakes May 17 at Gulfstream Park, edging Spinoff by a neck.
Just Whistle's success came on the heels of a runner-up finish in the March 28 Hal's Hope Stakes (G3).
"It's nice to see him win a stakes finally. Hopefully, we can get a nice 5-year-old season out of him with a little bit of consistency," said trainer Michael Matz, who conditioned Just Whistle's multiple grade 1-placed dam, And Why Not. Just Whistle also placed in the Peter Pan Stakes (G3) as a 3-year-old.
Just Whistle went off at 4-1 in the Sunday Silence with Luis Saez aboard. The son of Pioneerof the Nile was fifth early in the six-horse field. Wind of Change took the lead in the 1 1/8-mile event for older horses, setting fractions of :23.54, :46.77, and 1:10.64. Spinoff, the 3-5 favorite, bobbled at the start but regained his footing to battle for second with Big Dollar Bill.
Spinoff loomed in second on the turn for home and gained a brief lead in the stretch, but Just Whistle closed in on the outside. The two remained close as the wire approached, with Just Whistle getting the edge.
The final time was 1:50.71 on a sloppy (sealed) track.
"We knew we didn't have enough speed as a couple of the other horses in there. We were hoping he would run them down. The big thing about him is once you get him started, you can't change your mind," Matz said. "We told Luis to swing him out and stay in a nice rhythm with him. He's not a hard horse to ride, he's just a lazy horse to ride. Every jockey that's ridden him comes back and says, 'Oh my God, I had to ride him the whole way.' Luis is probably as strong a jockey as you'd like to have, so he was a good guy for him."
Spinoff was second, two lengths ahead of Eye of the Jedi in third. It was another 4 1/2 lengths back to You're to Blame in fourth. Wind of Change and Big Dollar Bill completed the order of finish.
"It was a very good trip, like we planned. He's a big horse, a one-run horse. I can't go with him early because I know if I go with him, he won't finish," Matz said. "The plan was to be behind the race and make one run. It was tough, but we got (Spinoff)."
Just Whistle was bred in Kentucky and is the first foal out of Groves' And Why Not, a daughter of Street Cry who placed in the Delaware Handicap (G1) and Spinaway Stakes (G1). And Why Not produced a Blame filly May 8, following a Candy Ride filly in 2019. She is also the dam of 2-year-old filly Potion, by Ghostzapper .
Just Whistle has a 3-3-1 record in 12 starts and earnings of $213,505.