Da Silva Sets Sights on Woodbine Mile Triumph

The trademark smile never fails to make an appearance.

It beams out from beneath a helmet in the morning hours, greeting all those it encounters in and around the Woodbine backstretch. It becomes exceptionally broad when talking with fans and well-wishers between races in the afternoon, and while it has been most prominent in the 2,000 times Eurico Rosa da Silva has crossed a finish line first in his career, it often shows up regardless of result, so long as he and his equine partner of the moment have come home in good order.

Over the past 14 years, the joy that resonates from Woodbine's leading rider has become a fundamental part of the racing experience at the Toronto track, the product of an athlete doing exactly what he loves in a setting he wouldn't trade for any other. He has almost everything he could ask out of the circuit—Queen's Plate victories, meet titles, and Sovereign Awards. Still, there is a certain major accolade that has eluded him over the years, one that would inspire one of the most ebullient editions yet of his hallmark celebrations.

"This is the last one I need to win—100%," the 43-year-old native of Brazil said when asked about the task waiting for him Sept. 15. "My goal now is to try and win this race."

Twenty prior editions of the Ricoh Woodbine Mile (G1T) have managed to come and go without one of the track's most dominant figures putting his stamp on it. On Saturday, the jockey who has put on a master class so many times over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course has one of his best chances yet to take one of the venue's signature tests when he guides graded stakes winner and local standout Mr Havercamp against an international gathering of eight others.

A quick glance at da Silva's résumé since he came to Toronto in 2004 shows pretty much everything but a Woodbine Mile triumph. He has been part of Canadian Horse of the Year campaigns by Pink Lloyd (2017), Up With the Birds (2013), Biofuel (2010), and Fatal Bullet (2008). He has been Woodbine's leading rider the past four seasons, won five Sovereign Awards as Canada's Outstanding Jockey, taken two editions of the Queen's Plate, and orchestrated such indelible moments as Bullards Alley's 42-1 upset in the 2017 Pattison Canadian International Stakes (G1T).

BALAN: Bullards Alley Dominates Canadian International at 42-1

If it is hard to imagine a Woodbine jockey colony without da Silva in his current role at the forefront, digest for a moment the force of fate that originally brought one of the track's favorite adopted sons north. After he won nearly 500 races in Brazil and then rode for a handful of years in Macau, da Silva came to Toronto in 2003 on vacation with designs on eventually trying to break into the New York circuit.

What happened instead was an old-fashioned case of love at first sight. Taken by the lush surroundings of Woodbine and the energy of the city, da Silva told his then-wife Claudia there was a new wrinkle regarding his long-term plans.

"When I left Macau, my intention was to go to New York. Most of the Brazilians, when we leave Brazil, we think about going to New York or California—either one," da Silva said. "I came (to Woodbine) for a holiday, and I'll be honest, I didn't know anything about racing in Canada. But then I got to the racetrack and I just fell in love. I fell in love with the track and I love the town. At the time, I was married to Claudia, my ex-wife, and I told her, 'This is the place. I don't want to go to the United States. This is the place I want to be.' Then I started fixing all my papers to come here.

"I think the best decision I ever made was that day."

The current incarnation of da Silva is one of respected veteran, sought after by top conditioners on the backstretch and looked at by his peers as a both a fearsome competitor and source of support and knowledge. In the early days of trying to break onto the scene, things were different.

As the new, young guy in the jockeys' room, da Silva found his nerve tested, often in a not-so-kind manner by some established riders. He channeled some of those early trials into positives—he became a Taekwondo black belt and regular practitioner of meditation—and now that he sits atop the colony's hierarchy, he makes a point of being a mentor rather than tormentor.

"They are so used to their own jockeys here that a new guy coming in ... I went through a lot of bullying," da Silva recalled. "I don't want to name any names, but the bullying was really, really tough. Now I'm one of the veterans in the jocks room, and I make sure that riders here now who are young ... (if) a couple older jocks try to bully them—I get involved and I don't let that happen. Because what happened to me was not nice. And I'll make sure when I'm in the jocks' room that no one is going to bully the young riders."

Convincing trainers to take a chance on his skill set was something else that took a few years to come around.

One of the first to show faith in da Silva's ability was Robert Earl Barnett, who put the upstart pilot on several of his horses at the time, including a slightly crooked but tough mare by the name of Gladiator Queen. Her only two wins from 17 starts came in 2004 with da Silva in the irons. She is still putting her old partner in the winner's circle, though, thanks to her son Pink Lloyd—the reigning king of the Great White North who has da Silva as his regular pilot.

"(Barnett) was not a big trainer, but he did trust me 100%," da Silva said. "And it's very hard to gain trust from people because, you know, I come from Brazil. And then riding in Macau, which is such a small track, no one knows where the place is, you know? And at that time, 15 years ago, the Brazilian jockeys hadn't really come out yet to ride. Now it's different. There are a lot of Brazilians that have come on, but I was one of the first ones to come out of Brazil and do good."

By 2008, da Silva's talent was yielding some superior results, as he cracked the $6 million mark in seasonal earnings for the first time. He has developed into a rider who can be aggressive as needed without forsaking the best position for his mounts, and the feedback he gives post-race is often viewed to be equally strong.

"He's a great guy—great attitude. He gives you 110%—every day, every race," said Canadian Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse. "It doesn't matter whether it's a cheap claiming race or the Woodbine Mile, he's going to give you his best. And something that is important to me is he always comes back with a smile.

"We're in a business where we have a lot of ups and downs, and we all live them. So you want positive people to be around you, and he's a positive guy."

One source of da Silva's buoyant mood these days is the form his Woodbine Mile mount is bringing into Saturday's eight-furlong race.

Trained by Catherine Day Phillips, the Ontario-bred Mr Havercamp didn't make his first start until July 2017 and is unbeaten in four tries over the Woodbine turf. The only time the 4-year-old Court Vision  gelding has crossed the wire worse than second (he was disqualified from second to seventh in the 2017 Sir Barton Stakes) came the two times he shipped to New York. In his most recent start, Mr Havercamp scored by 2 1/2 lengths in the Play the King Stakes (G2T) over a yielding course Aug. 25.

BLOODHORSE: Mr Havercamp Punches Through in Play the King

"This horse has been changing race to race. He's just getting better," da Silva said. "And I believe this distance is going to hit him right on the head. That's the best part. He's just coming along at the right time."

Added Day Phillips, "I know (da Silva) is really excited to be on Havercamp. He was a late developer, he was just kind of figuring things out at the end of his 3-year-old year, and now as a 4-year-old he's bigger and stronger."

On Sept. 14, another milestone achievement came da Silva's way as a result of his superiority over the Woodbine track.

He celebrated his 2,000th victory in North America when he piloted the filly Intanga Rose to victory in the day's second race. As he spoke about the support that helped make the moment possible, tears welled up and spilled into the elastic grin that was—as usual—speaking volumes about what the last 14 years have meant to his career and his life.

"Every single horse I rode is special for me. I have so many good horses, and they all try so hard, from stakes horses to cheap horses," he said. "I ride a lot of horses that run for $8,000 or $10,000, and they are in my mind right now, and I want to thank them all so much.

"This is a great place for my family (and) for my kids. Why would I want to change it? I love it here. I'm happy."