Silver Dust Returns to Main Track in Ben Ali

Starting Silver Dust 's 2021 campaign in a turf race wasn't trainer Bret Calhoun's optimal plan, but he believes it worked out for the best.

"I don't think he's necessarily a turf horse, but I think we got what we needed out of it as far as fitness goes," Calhoun said. "We weren't able to get a dirt race in him for his comeback, but we got a turf race, and that suited us well. It was good to run him out of his own stall and not have to ship him anywhere to get his year started."

The effectiveness of that seventh-place finish in his 2021 debut will be on display April 10 when Silver Dust returns to his preferred surface of dirt when he faces four rivals in the $150,000 Ben Ali Stakes (G3) for older horses at Keeneland.

That March allowance optional claiming race at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots was the 7-year-old Tapit   gelding's second start and second unplaced finish on turf, but he should rebound back on the main track where's he's a multiple grade 3 winner and grade 2 placed.

During his 2020 season, Silver Dust won the Mineshaft Stakes (G3) for a second straight year and was third in both the Stephen Foster Stakes (G2) and Alysheba Stakes Presented by Sentient Jet (G2) before ending the year with a 10th place finish in the Big Ass Fans Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile (G1). Afterward, Calhoun and owner Tom Durant opted for some rest and relaxation for their gray gelding.

"He's turned into a pretty consistent horse. His last two starts were the only time he hasn't run a good race in a long while," Calhoun said. "He hadn't been turned out at a farm for a while so we opted to give him some time off to rest him up. We hope that sets him up for a good campaign this year."

The Ben Ali turned out to be a highly suitable vehicle for Silver Dust's return to the main track as none of his four rivals have captured a graded stakes since July.

"He's a gelding so the most important thing is making the most money we can and winning the most races we can. We don't have to worry about chasing the top horses," Calhoun said about the winner of six of 32 starts with earnings of $885,677. "We'll find a campaign with enough time in between races to suit him and run him in races where he can be one of the best horses every time."

Steve Landers Racing's Night Ops , a 5-year-old son of Warrior's Reward  , is the aforementioned most recent graded stakes winner, owning a victory in the July 5 Prairie Meadows Cornhusker Handicap (G3) at Prairie Meadows.

Since then, he has only started twice for trainer Brad Cox, returning from a six-month hiatus to finish third in a pair of Oaklawn Park stakes, the Fifth Season Stakes followed up by the Essex Handicap.

In his 20-race career, Night Ops has six wins, three seconds, and four thirds for earnings of $679,956.

Linda Pavey's Beau Luminarie  will be making his stakes debut but deserves heavy consideration for inclusion in the bottom of exacta wagers as he has finished second in six of his last seven starts. A March 27 win for trainer Rudolphe Brisset in an allowance optional claimer on Turfway Park's synthetic surface snapped a streak of six straight runner-up finishes.

Treasure Trove , claimed for $40,000 in October, and Sprawl , who is unplaced in four starts in stakes, were also entered.

Entries: Ben Ali S. (G3)

Keeneland, Saturday, April 10, 2021, Race 7

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $150,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 4:24 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Beau Luminarie (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Rodolphe Brisset	3/1
2	2Treasure Trove (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	Michael J. Maker	8/1
3	3Night Ops (KY)	Javier Castellano	118	Brad H. Cox	1/1
4	4Sprawl (KY)	Brian Joseph Hernandez, Jr.	118	Thomas Drury, Jr.	10/1
5	5Silver Dust (KY)	Adam Beschizza	118	W. Bret Calhoun	5/2