One of the most mentally tough horses of his generation, SILVER STATE showed he not only could win at home but also take his talent on the road with six consecutive victories at four different racetracks over a span of less than seven months.
SILVER STATE saved the best for last in that stretch of wins that included four stakes victories when the streak culminated in a one length victory in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1). That field included multiple Grade 1 winners, led by that year’s Horse of the Year Knicks Go.
“He had won five on the trot coming into the Met Mile (G1) where he faced off with a Horse of the Year and returned a dominant winner. As our game evolves, there’s more and more emphasis on physical and mental soundness. He was laden with both. Household names with Hard Spun and Empire Maker top and bottom. It’s not difficult to imagine him becoming an influential sire.”
BLOODSTOCK AGENT TOM RYAN
That mental and physical soundness led SILVER STATE to become one of the leaders by number of starts among the Grade 1 winners in his stallion class with runs nearly every month in late 2020-2021. He scored wins at multiple distances in stakes during that time and finished third in the Whitney Stakes (G1) as well.
Toughness runs strong in SILVER STATE’s family on the top and bottom.
He is by one of the leading 3-year-olds of 2007 in Hard Spun, who made 13 starts in nearly exactly a year with multiple graded stakes victories in that time. His stakes winning dam Supreme also made most of her starts in a short span of time while each of her foals have at least two wins to their name.
For breeder Beau Lane, SILVER STATE’s family and race record were what made him book four mares to the stallion.
“I have four mares booked to him, so we’re fully committed. He could be something really special. I love the way he’s bred on the bottom side, that’s what attracted me the most to him. Wonderful female family.”
BEAU LANE
Lane isn’t the only one who had faith in SILVER STATE. In fact, he attracted some of the finest mares in the stud book.
Of the 153 mares in foal to SILVER STATE, 37 are stakes performers, 24 are stakes winners – and even more are stakes producers.
Among the 43 stakes producers and 30 dams of stakes winners, the dams of Grade 1 winners Chocolate Gelato and LEA, Grade 2 winners Dr. Dorr, Finite, and Gold Medal Dancer, and Grade 3 winners Blame Debbie, Ever So Clever, and Recruiting Ready visited SILVER STATE in his first year.
“SILVER STATE is a very impressive physical, an expensive yearling that ran to his looks. We felt he would really suit some of our mares physically and I am a big fan of the incredible statistics of Hard Spun for producing runners.“
MACHMER HALL’S CARRIE BROGDEN
Breeders have such faith in SILVER STATE that Chocolate Gelato’s dam Special Treat RNAed for $985,000 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale carrying a foal from his first crop.
A $450,000 yearling purchase hailing from the famous Stonestreet Thoroughbred breeding program, SILVER STATE stands for $20,000 in 2023. His first foals are set to arrive this upcoming foaling season.